Here is a look at the latest NHL trades.

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Hurricanes Make a Big Move on the Blueline

The Hurricanes Get: D John Carlson

Carlson, 36, has been a hugely productive defenceman for a long time. Since 2017-2018, he has 520 points (108 G, 412 A) in 633 games, ranking second among defenceman, behind only Nashville’s Roman Josi.

Last season, split between Washington and Anaheim, Carlson still produced 60 points (14 G, 46 A) while averaging more than 23 minutes of ice time in 71 games.

Carlson is an unrestricted free agent, so the Hurricanes are taking a shot that they can get him signed before the market opens on July 1. AFP Analytics projects Carlson to sign a three-year deal at around $7 million per season.

The Ducks Get: D Kyle Masters and a sixth-round pick

Masters is a 23-year-old who played 10 games in the ECHL last season. He’s not a serious NHL prospect.

With the sixth-round pick, the Ducks picked Noah Kosick, who had 54 points (16 G, 38 A) in 69 games for Swift Current and Seattle in the WHL last season. He will play at the University of Michigan next season.

Conclusion: Carlson apparently wanted to return to the Eastern Conference as a free agent, so Anaheim getting a late pick for him is better than nothing. Carolina’s position is more interesting. They have six defenders under contract and Alexander Nikishin is a restricted free agent, so if Carlson does sign with the Hurricanes, will that mean that Nikishin or Jalen Chatfield could be on the move? Carolina has been rumoured to have interest in Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, so that’s a possible next step.

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Predators Add Some Size

The Predators Get: LW Adam Edstrom

A 6-foot-7 winger who had 16 points (10 G, 6 A) and 189 hits in 97 career games for the Rangers, Edstrom is a 25-year-old fourth-line banger who should have an inside track to a regular role in Nashville.

Edstrom has one year left on his contract, after which he will be a restricted free agent, and his cap hit is $975,000, making him a good price if he can fulfill his end of the bargain and hold a regular spot in the lineup.

The Rangers Get: A fifth-round pick

The fifth-round pick was ultimately traded to Seattle as part of a deal to acquire a fourth-round pick that the Blueshirts used to select Spencer Bowes, a left winger who had 42 points (23 G, 19 A) in 67 games for Ottawa in the OHL last season. He will play for Providence College next season.

Conclusion: Edstrom is not likely to make a major impact in Nashville and the draft pick isn’t likely to make the Rangers.

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Maple Leafs Move on From Carlo

The Blues Get: D Brandon Carlo

Carlo, 29, is a 6-foot-5 right-shot defenceman who had zero goals and seven assists in 55 games for Toronto last season.

For all of his offensive limitations, Carlo had a strong defensive track record in Boston before arriving in Toronto. The Blues will hope that they get that version of Carlo, a defender who can use his size effectively to control the front of the net in the defensive zone.

Carlo has one year left on his contract, with a $4.1 million cap hit, and this is a low-risk acquisition for the Blues. If they fall out of playoff contention, the Blues will surely be able to recoup the cost by flipping Carlo to a contender.

The Maple Leafs Get: Two third-round picks

Toronto received picks No. 73 and No. 76 from St. Louis. They used the 73rd pick on Zac Olsen, a right winger who had 34 points (18 G, 16 A) in 57 games for Saskatoon in the WHL. He will play at Colorado College next season.

With pick No. 76, they took defenceman Mans Gudmundsson, a 6-foot-3 right-shot blueliner who had 25 points (1 G, 24 A) in 35 games for Farjestad’s U20 team.

Conclusion: While the Maple Leafs will get raked over the coals for receiving so little in return for a player that they paid a big price (Fraser Minten, a fourth-round pick, and a first-round pick) to acquire, Carlo was acquired by the previous GM, so there is less reluctance from the new Leafs regime to move on from a bad investment. The Blues are making moves that look like they intend to be in the playoff hunt next season and, if they are, Carlo should be able to fill a role for them.

Mammoth Add Goaltending Prospect

The Mammoth Get: G Sebastian Cossa

Cossa is a 23-year-old netminder who was a first-round pick in 2021. He had a .911 save percentage in 123 AHL games, a decent indication that he’s ready for at least a backup role in the NHL.

The 6-foot-6 goalie is a restricted free agent but with no NHL experience, it should not be difficult for the Mammoth to reach an agreement with him on a new contract.

The Red Wings Get: A first-round pick

The first-round pick was No. 23 overall, and the Red Wings used it on forward J.P. Hurlbert, who had 97 points (42 G, 55 A) in 68 games for Kamloops in the WHL last season. He will play at the University of Michigan next season and could be knocking on the door in Detroit soon.

Conclusion: With top goaltending prospect Trey Augustine in the fold already, the Red Wings may not have been invested long-term in Cossa, so they got good value, acquiring a first-round pick for a goaltender who has yet to play in the NHL. On Utah’s side, they are getting a goalie with potential, who could grow into the role of a starting goaltender in the NHL.

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Blues Use Draft Capital to Get Immediate Help

The Blues Get: C Mason McTavish

McTavish, 23, fell out of favour in Anaheim last season, his fourth season in the NHL. He had 41 points (17 G, 24 A) while playing 15:19 per game, both his lowest marks in his four full NHL seasons.

The third overall pick in the 2021 Draft, McTavish is a physically strong forward who can be effective in traffic, but his skating is maybe not ideal. He can be a threat on the power play, firing one-timers from the right-wing faceoff circle.

McTavish can be an effective player; the question is whether he is a first-line player or more suited to a supporting role.

In St. Louis, McTavish will get a fresh start and that could include time on left wing if that puts him in a better chance to succeed.

McTavish has five years left on his contract, with a cap hit of $5 million.

The Ducks Get: Two first-round picks

The Ducks received picks 15 and 29 from St. Louis, then traded with Vegas to move from pick 29 to 28.

With pick No. 15, the Ducks selected right winger Nikita Klepov, who had 97 points (37 G, 60 A) in 67 games for Saginaw of the OHL. He will play at Michigan State next season.

With the 28th pick, the Ducks added Marcus Nordmark, who had 61 points (20 G, 41 A) in 36 (regular season plus playoff) games for Djurgardens U20 team.

The odds are that at least one of those players will become an NHL regular, but it also might take a few years for that to happen.

Conclusion: The Ducks had been rumoured to be moving McTavish for a while and dealing him for draft picks is not exactly consistent with the master plan for a Ducks team that presumably intends to challenge for a playoff spot next season. However, the trade does give Anaheim more financial flexibility and with Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier as restricted free agents, that could help Anaheim fend off any offer sheets. The Blues are buying low on a young forward with a chance to resurrect his career.

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Rangers Acquire Scoring Winger

The Rangers Get: LW Pavel Dorofeyev

A 25-year-old left winger who has scored 72 goals across the past two seasons – which was tied with Boston’s Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak for 15th in the league – Dorofeyev just had 12 goals in 22 games during Vegas’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.

In the past two seasons, Dorofeyev’s 33 power play goals was tied for second in the league.

With those credentials as a restricted free agent, Dorofeyev is looking at a massive salary bump on his next contract. AFP Analytics has a six-year deal for Dorofeyev coming in around a $9 million cap hit, which would be tough (if not impossible) for Vegas to accommodate under the salary cap.

With the Rangers, Dorofeyev should fit on the top line and first unit power play. With quality players around him, even if his shooting percentage regresses and if he doesn’t play every game like he has in the past two seasons, Dorofeyev should still be a threat to score 30 goals.

The Golden Knights Get: A first and third-round pick plus a conditional 2028 first-round pick

The Golden Knights entered the draft with no first-round pick and no second-round pick. They took the first-round pick they acquired from the Rangers to trade down to ultimately add a fourth-round pick (plus a third-round pick next year) in addition to No. 29 overall, which they used on Finnish defenceman Juho Piiparinen, a 6-foot-3 defenceman who split last season between Tappara’s U20 and Liiga teams.

The third-round pick brought the Golden Knights Ben Wilmott, a 19-year-old who had 66 points (27 G, 39 A) in 66 games for London and Barrie in the OHL, adding 22 points (11 G, 11 A) in 20 playoff games for Barrie. He will play at Ohio State next season.

The 2028 first-round pick from the Rangers is top 10 protected.

Conclusion: If the Golden Knights couldn’t afford to keep Dorofeyev, they did a good job addressing the team’s lack of draft capital, and trading down a few spots late in the first-round in order to acquire additional picks was shrewd business. The Rangers are apparently looking to compete for a playoff spot next season and the commitment to get Dorofeyev is a step in that direction. They paid a decent price to get him, but it should be a significant cost to acquire a player with his goal-scoring track record.

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Bruins Make a Big Move

The Bruins Get: LW JJ Peterka

Traded to Utah last summer, Peterka had his third straight season scoring at least 25 goals, but the 24-year-old winger has room to improve his overall game.

He is a bona fide finisher, who has scored on 14.3% of his shots on goal in the past three seasons, but Peterka’s defensive game is still a work in progress.

Going to Boston, Peterka is going to give the Bruins much-needed scoring depth, as he can complement the likes of David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.

Peterka played more than 18 minutes per game in his last season with Buffalo, so it was somewhat surprising to see his ice time drop under 16 minutes per game in Utah.

Peterka has four years, at a cap hit of $7.7 million, left on his contract. If he scores 30 goals, that will be money well spent.

The Mammoth Get: A first-round pick and a conditional 2028 first-round pick

The first-round pick that the Mammoth received from Boston was the 23rd pick in the draft, which Utah then flipped to Detroit in order to acquire goaltender Sebastian Cossa.

The 2028 first-round pick initially belonged to Florida and is top 10 protected.

Conclusion: Utah had six forwards that scored at least 24 goals last season, so they could afford to move Peterka in order to address other needs. Moving Peterka does open up more room in the Utah lineup for prospects Daniil But and Tij Iginla, and the ensuing trade for Cossa helps their long-term goaltending situation. From Boston’s perspective, they are getting immediate help, a player who has established that he can put the puck I the net.

Senators Add Forward Depth

The Senators Get: RW Andre Burakovsky

Burakovsky, 31, is a veteran winger who has some offensive skill, but has recorded more than 45 points in a season once in his career and finished last season with 33 points (11 G, 22 A) in 75 games.

Burakovsky’s defensive play has been below average for a while and, combined with his production, that should put him into a middle six role with the Senators.

With one year left on his deal, Burakovsky comes with a $5.5 million cap hit, though he does offer some financial value as his contract actually pays him $3.75 million.

The Blackhawks Get: A 2027 sixth-round pick

A sixth-round pick is not likely to make a significant difference in the NHL, and it indicates that the Blackhawks were just fine to get Burakovsky off their books to create room for younger players.

Conclusion: The value in this for the Senators is that there is only one year left on Burakovsky’s deal so it isn’t going to hinder the team’s cap situation in the long run, and it would be difficult (if not impossible) to sign a free agent to fill a middle six role while only committing to a one-year contract.

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Sabres Address Blueline Need

The Sabres Get: D Olen Zellweger

Zellweger is a 22-year-old defender who is on the smaller side but has exhibited potential with his ability to move the puck.

Zellweger had 37 points (12 G, 25 A) in 44 AHL games and was a point producer in junior, but had a modest 51 points (16 G, 35 A) in 164 games with the Ducks. Ten of those 51 points were on the power play.

Last season, Zellweger’s ice time dipped under 17 minutes per game, and he only dressed in three of 12 playoff games, a decent indication that he was considered expendable.

With the Sabres moving defencemen Bowen Byram and Michael Kesslering in separate trades already, acquiring a proven NHL defenceman was necessary.

The Ducks Get: C Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick

Wahlberg is a 6-foot-3 centre who was a second-round pick in 2023. He contributed 37 points (9 G, 28 A) in 68 games for Rochester of the AHL last season.

It looks like Wahlberg will begin next season in the AHL, but the soon-to-be 21-year-old appears to be on track to compete for an NHL job in the coming years.

The Ducks used the second-round pick to select Minnesota high school defenceman Brayden Kurtz, who is 6-foot-3 and committed to play at the University of Wisconsin.

Conclusion: Zellweger should be a good addition for Buffalo and has skills that should play well with Buffalo’s attacking game. The Ducks got some quality prospects in return, but it speaks to their desire to move on from Zellweger that they prefer prospects to a 22-year-old who has shown that he can play in the league.

Leafs Flip Ersson to Sens

The Senators Get: G Samuel Ersson

Ersson, 26, was acquired from Philadelphia a few weeks ago, and it did not seem that he was a great fit for a Maple Leafs team that had a couple of strong AHL goaltenders ready to challenge for a spot.

In the past three seasons, Ersson recorded a .883 save percentage in 131 appearances for the Flyers, so he’s teetering on the brink of the NHL, but the Senators appear to be willing to give Ersson a shot to compete with Levi Merilainen for the backup job behind Linus Ullmark.

Ersson is a restricted free agent, and while AFP Analytics projects him for a $1.6 million salary, the Sens might see if they can get a better deal.

The Maple Leafs Get: A 2027 fifth-round pick

Considering that the Maple Leafs probably didn’t see Ersson as a solution to their goaltending situation, and the fact that he is on the fringe of the NHL, getting any kind of draft pick is worthwhile.

Conclusion: Ersson’s recent play does not give a lot of reason to be hopeful, but the price they paid is reasonable enough to find out whether Ersson can still be a legitimate NHL goaltender.

Devils Bolster Blueline Depth

The Devils Get: D Declan Chisholm

A 26-year-old defnceman who is trying to earn a regular spot in the NHL, Chisholm played just 26 games for the Capitals last season, contributing seven points (1 G, 6 A) while playing 13:44 per game.

In New Jersey, Chisholm is lkely to be No. 7 on the Devils’ defensive depth chart, but he’s a quality player to fill that role. With one season left on his contract, Chisholm has a cap hit of $1.6 million.

The Capitals Get: A 2027 fourth-round pick

A fourth-round pick brings about a one-in-five chance of becoming an NHL player, so there is not a ton of value there but, for a Capitals team that was spending big to upgrade its scoring, getting away from Chisholm’s contract made sense.

Conclusion: This is not a blockbuster by any means, but it’s worth considering why the Devils were interested enough to make this trade for a guy who figures to be seventh on their defensive depth chart.

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Avalanche Continue Clearing Room, Deal Nichushkin

The Blue Jackets Get: RW Valeri Nichushkin

Nichushkin, 31, is a strong defensive winger who is a three-time 20-goal scorer. He has had trouble staying healthy, as last season’s 72 games represented his highest total since the 2015-2016 season, but he is a strong physical presence who can be an impact player when he’s at his best.

Nichushkin will be a quality winger in Columbus’ top six. With four years remaining on a deal with a $6.125 million cap hit per season, he is a significant investment for the Blue Jackets, and while he’s not the most durable performer, Nichushkin is likely to be a valuable contributor for the Blue Jackets.

The Avalanche Get: A second-round pick, a third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028.

Colorado used the second-round pick on Yegor Shilov, a 6-foot-1 centre who had 82 points (32 G, 50 A) in 63 games for Victoriaville in the QMJHL last season. The future picks are less likely to become NHLers but hold some value for the Avs.

Conclusion: If the Avalanche are cutting salary, and it appears that they are, then it makes sense to add draft capital for the long run. The Blue Jackets are real winners in this deal though. For all of his flaws, Nichushkin is a strong two-way winger that should help Columbus be more competitive, whenever he’s in the lineup.

Penguins Acquire Lapierre from Capitals

The Penguins Get: LW Hendrix Lapierre

A first-round pick in 2020, Lapierre has struggled to establish himself as a regular in the NHL. He played 74 games for the Capitals last season, but managed just 16 points (4 G, 12 A) while averaging 8:50 of ice time per game.

A restricted free agent, Lapierre might be looking at a contract with a $1.5 million cap hit, and he will have a chance to compete for a spot with the Penguins. It would be presumptuous to assume that he is assured of a spot.

The Capitals Get: A third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028

The third-round pick in 2027 should bring about a one-in-four chance of yielding an NHL player, while the fifth-round pick in 2028, which was originally San Jose’s, naturally has an even lower chance of becoming an NHLer.

Conclusion: This seems to be the Penguins looking to take a crack on a first-round pick that didn’t pan out with Washington. That the Capitals brought in two picks for a player who they probably didn’t want to re-sign is good value on their end. For Pittsburgh, it all depends on if Lapierre can prove he belongs in the NHL.

Panthers Add Even More Grit

The Panthers Get: RW Garnet Hathaway and a sixth-round pick

A veteran winger who has recorded at least 200 hits in five straight seasons, 34-year-old Hathaway is coming off a shockingly unproductive 2025-2026 campaign in which he managed three points (1 G, 2 A) in 66 games for the Flyers.

Despite his offensive limitations, Hathaway is still a reliable checking winger, who can still agitate the opposition, which should make him a fine fit in Florida.

Hathaway has one season left on a contract that pays him $2.4 million per season, but the Flyers are retaining half of that salary for next season, so he is just a $1.2 million cap hit for Florida.

With the sixth-round pick, the Panthers drafted Cole Zurawski, who had 46 points (24 G, 22 A) in 63 games for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL last season and will play college hockey at Notre Dame next season.

The Flyers Get: A fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick

In addition to creating an open spot on their forward depth chart, the Flyers used the fifth-round pick they received on 6-foot-3 centre Kent Sauer, who had 25 points (8 G, 17 A) in 15 games for Andover High School in Minnesota before finishing the season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.

Sauer is slated to join the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League next season.

Conclusion: None of the draft picks involved in this deal are likely to become NHL players, but the Flyers are getting slightly better value on the picks while allowing them to move on from Hathaway.

Preds and Avs Swing Another Deal

The Predators Get: C Jack Drury, RW Chase Bradley, and a third-round pick in 2029

Drury, 26, is coming off a strong season with the Avalanche, earning his place among the club’s top nine forwards, scoring a career high 10 goals and tying his career high with 27 points. He won 58.1 percent of his faceoffs and played a career high 14:29 per game.

Drury was effective as a play driver and his strong defensive play should appeal to Nashville, where he should have a good shot at the third-line centre role.

A restricted free agent at the time of the trade, Drury then signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with Nashville.

Bradley is a 24-year-old winger who has 34 points (22 G, 12 A) in 104 AHL games across the past two seasons. He figures to provide organizational depth for the Preds.

The third-round pick may offer about a one-in-four chance of becoming an NHL player.

The Avalanche Get: C Fedor Svechkov and LW Zachary L’Heureux

Svechkov, 23, was solid enough in a fourth-line role last season, showing improvement over his rookie season in 2024-2025. He managed just 17 points (4 G, 13 A) in 70 games last season and won 42.8 percent of his faceoffs, so there is room for continued improvement.

Svechkov is signed for the next two seasons, at a cap hit of $1.25 million per season, so he’s a reasonably-priced fourth-line centre for the Avs.

L’Heureux is a 23-year-old winger who is a disturber on the ice. He missed time with a lower-body injury last season and was sent to the AHL, where he produced 28 points (!4 G, 14 A) in 30 games for Milwaukee.

He only had five points (4 G, 1 A) in 25 games for the Preds, but he had 64 hits in 25 games and his play was solid. That should have him in line for a regular role in Colorado.

L’Heureux is on a bargain contract, at $875,000 per season for the next two years, so he and Svechkov are reasonably-priced depth options.

Conclusion: The Avalanche are giving up the best player in the deal, Drury, but they did the deal to save money and found two very inexpensive options to play on their fourth line. From the Preds perspective, Drury gives them a solid checking centre who is represents an upgrade over Svechkov and L’Heureux.

Capitals Land Top Free Agent Forward

The Capitals Get: RW Alex Tuch

Tuch, 30, is a 6-foot-4 winger who has gone for 30-plus goals and 65-plus points in three of the past four seasons and was poised to be the top free agent forward available on July 1.

In Tuch’s five seasons with the Sabres, during five-on-five play, Buffalo outscored opponents 282-214 with Tuch on the ice. Despite his size, Tuch is not a menacing physical presence, but he does tend to play a strong defensive game, though his impacts were less impressive than usual during the 2025-2026 season.

Washington’s serious commitment to get Tuch, coupled with their earlier trade for Jordan Kyrou, suggests a team that is going all-in on improving its forwards ranks for the coming seasons.

Tuch will obviously play a big role for his new club, but it is reasonable to wonder about how an eight-year, $84 million contract is going to age for a 30-year-old winger.

The Sabres Get: C David Kampf and a third-round pick in 2027

Kampf is a 31-year-old checking centre who is going to be an unrestricted free agent. He had a modest six points (2 G, 4 A) in 40 games for Washington last season and while he’s a serviceable defensive player, he is one dimensional.

The third-round pick might offer a one-in-four chance of becoming an NHL player,

Conclusion: Knowing that Tuch was intending to move on in free agency, the Sabres deserve credit for getting something to facilitate that deal. The price that the Capitals are paying will likely come back to haunt them eventually but, in the next few seasons at least, this should make the Capitals more competitive.

Let’s take a look at the four deals:

Sabres Get Top Value from Blackhawks

The Blackhawks Get: D Bowen Byram and LW Jordan Greenway

Byram, 25, is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-high 42 points (11 G, 31 A) while averaging more than 22 minutes per game of ice time and playing in all 82 games for the second consecutive season.

Since getting drafted by Colorado with the fourth overall pick in 2019, Byram has shown promise, but also been stuck behind more established top-flight defencemen, limiting his offensive upside. He has 152 points in 328 career games, and only 17 of those points have come via the power play.

Moving to Chicago should present Byram with the opportunity to play on the top power play unit and with that quality ice time, he should also be expected to generate more points.

His possession numbers have been relatively mediocre, including 48.4 xGF% this past season, so there is some reason to be cautious about the expectations that get heaped upon him.

Byram has one season remaining on his current contract, with a cap hit of $6.25 million, but will expect a substantial boost in pay. AFP Analytics projects a seven-year contract with a $9.5 million cap hit for Byram and there are reports that he is looking for more than that. It’s going to be a major financial commitment.

Greenway is a 29-year-old winger who is 6-foot-6 and he can be a physical presence, recording more than 100 hits four times in his career, but he has run into injury problems and played 74 games total across the past two seasons. He managed just six points (1 G, 5 A) in 40 games for the Sabres last season.

At this stage of his career, Greenway can be penciled in on the fourth line, but that only works if he’s healthy. If he can get back to fully healthy, Greenway could possibly challenge for a role in Chicago’s top nine.

Greenway has one year left on his current contract, with a $4 million cap hit, which is likely more than the value he can provide, but the short term remaining means that it won’t be a problem for the Blackhawks.

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The Sabres Get: D Louis Crevier, a first-round pick and a second-round pick

Crevier is a 6-foot-8 blueliner who recorded a career-high 25 points (7 G, 18 A) in 78 games for the Blackhawks last season.

The 25-year-old was a third-pair option in Chicago, but among the 146 defencemen who played at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes, Crevier ranked 145th with 40.2 xGF%.

Crevier is not the main part of this deal for Buffalo, however.

The first-round pick coming from Chicago is the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft and that can go in a variety of directions, depending on which players are available.

While it seems that Gavin McKenna is likely to get taken first overall by Toronto, winger Ivar Stenberg, defenceman Chase Reid, and centre Caleb Malhotra are likely the next available players and Buffalo should get one of them, if that’s in fact who they want.

The second-round pick, which was originally the New York Islanders’ pick, might bring about a one-in-three chance of landing an NHL player, or could be an asset for the Sabres to use to acquire more immediate help.

Conclusion: This looks like an excellent long-term value play for the Sabres. The trade does suggest is that the Sabres did not want to sign Byram to a big money extension and would rather take a shot on prospects, at least in terms of value. From the Blackhawks’ perspective, they have desperately needed a puck-moving defenceman to help elevate the production of their skilled forwards and Byram at least has the potential to do that, but the price they paid to get him was steep.

Blues Secure Strong Value for Kyrou

The Capitals Get: RW Jordan Kyrou

Kyrou is a 28-year-old scoring winger whose goal production dipped to 18 last season after three straight seasons with more than 30 goals for the Blues.

He is a strong skater with excellent offensive instincts, though his role declined in St. Louis last season, with his ice time down to 15:44 per game, his lowest since 2020-2021.

He’s not a physical player, recording just 14 hits in 72 games last season, but Kyrou is a play-driving winger who has solid defensive impacts, nonetheless.

Kyrou has five years left on his contract, with a $8.125 million cap hit. That’s the kind of cap hit that expects production and suggests that the Capitals would be inclined to give him more ice time to get his production back on track.

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The Blues Get: C Connor McMichael, LW Milton Gastrin, and a first-round pick.

McMichael, 25, has emerged in a middle six role for Washington in the past three seasons, and while he’s shown offensive talent – his 49 even-strength goals in the past three seasons puts him in the top 100 league-wide – McMichael’s defensive play has room for improvement.

In St. Louis, McMichael should fill a middle six role, but perhaps with more responsibility than he was afforded in Washington.

A restricted free agent, McMichael is in a position where he could sign for a couple of years or potentially a long-term deal if the Blues genuinely want him to be part of their core for the long haul.

McMichael can play centre, though it would help him remain in the middle if he improved on his 43.0% career mark at the faceoff dot.

Even on a long-term deal, McMichael should be expected to cost at least a few million less per season than Kyrou.

Gastrin is a 19-year-old forward who was a second-round pick of the Capitals last season.

He produced 24 points (10 G, 14 A) in 39 games for Modo in the Allsvenskan league in Sweden before joining Hershey of the AHL at the end of the season, seeing action in one playoff game for the Bears. That’s solid development during his 18-year-old season.

Gastrin will require some time to develop but that works for a Blues team that is going through a re-tooling process. If he is ready to challenge for a job in a year or two, that’s legitimate value for the Blues.

The first-round pick, at No. 16 overall, adds further value and gives St. Louis four first-round picks in this year’s draft. That’s enough to be significant movers and shakers if they are looking to make more moves and enough to stock up the pipeline if they keep all four first-round picks.

Conclusion: While Kyrou is a quality player, and 30-goal scorers are not to be overlooked, the Blues get excellent value in return, not only shedding a player that they had been rumoured to be shopping for quite some time but getting three quality assets in the swap.

Senators Waste No Time Getting a Scoring Winger

The Senators Get: LW William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and Brandon Svoboda

Eklund is a skilled 23-year-old winger who has contributed 111 points (32 G, 79 A) in 155 games for the Sharks across the past two seasons.

He’s already a reliable two-way player who is a first-line winger and hasn’t yet hit his peak. After scoring on 8.5% of his shots last season, there is an easy way for Eklund to see his production spike and it’s for some positive regression when it comes to his shooting percentage.

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In Ottawa, Eklund should step into a first-line left winger role alongside Tim Stutzle, and if there is chemistry, Eklund should continue to elevate his offensive production.

Not only is Eklund a quality player, but he’s reasonably priced, with three years remaining on a contract that carries a cap hit of $5.6 million per season.

Halttunen is a 6-foot-4 winger who was a second-round pick of the Sharks in 2023. Last season was his first full pro campaign, and he put up 36 points (16 G, 19 A) in 69 games. That’s promising enough to believe that he could compete for a spot in Ottawa in the next couple of seasons.

A 6-foot-3 winger who was a third-round pick in 2023, Svoboda had 15 points (6 G, 9 A) in 35 games as a sophomore at Boston University this season. He probably needs to produce more offensively to be a serious prospect but still has a couple of seasons at the college level to develop his game.

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The Sharks Get: A first-round pick

The first-round pick that the Sharks receive is No. 9 overall, which was part of Ottawa’s haul from Florida in return for Brady Tkachuk.

With the ninth pick, the Sharks ought to be in the hunt for a defenceman like Keaton Verhoeff or Daxon Rudolph, who may not be expected to help next season, but could be long-term assets on the San Jose blueline.

Conclusion: It comes as no surprise that the Senators used the draft capital acquired in the Tkachuk deal to land immediate help and getting Eklund and two prospects is some efficient work. San Jose might have more plans for this offseason, and the No. 9 pick may give them more flexibility than Eklund, who is a quality young player for the Sharks to surrender.

Flames Make a Big Bet on Nemec

The Flames Get: D Simon Nemec and LW Maxim Tsyplakov

The second overall pick in the 2022 Draft, Nemec had something of a breakout season in 2025-2026, setting career highs with 11 goals and 26 points, but that goal total was inflated by his scoring on 10.9 percent of his shots on goal and his defensive impacts were abysmal.

Given the lack of proven options on the blueline in Calgary, there is a legitimate chance for Nemec to become a leader on defence for the Flames, but his play will have to improve if this is going to ultimately be deemed worthwhile.

Nemec is a 22-year-old restricted free agent and, given his uneven track record in the league, his next contract could have a wide range of potential values. The Flames could go all-in on an eight-year deal, but it would seem premature, so finding something shorter would make more sense.

Tsyplakov, 27, had a solid first NHL season for the Islanders in 2024-2025 before managing just four points (2 G, 2 A) in 49 games for the Islanders and Devils last season.

He has one year left on his contract, with a $2.25 million cap hit, and can fill a depth role in Calgary. If he rebounds with a more productive season, he could get dealt again before the trade deadline.

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The Devils Get: D Etienne Morin, a second-round pick in 2026, as well as first-round picks in 2027 and 2028.

Morin was a second-round pick in 2023 and had seven points (1 G, 6 A) in 42 AHL games last season, his first year as a pro. He will require further development if he’s going to contend for an NHL job.

The three draft picks that the Devils acquired are significant. The second-round pick originally belonged to the New York Rangers, so that will be No. 36 overall. A second-round pick typically has a one-in-three chance of becoming an NHLer, but an early pick does improve those odds a little.

The first-round pick in 2027 is from the Vegas Golden Knights, and the first-round pick in 2028 is from the Colorado Avalanche. Both are top 10 protected but should still yield some NHL value for the Devils in the long run.

Conclusion: This is significant bet on Nemec by the Flames. If he turns out to be a top pair defenceman, the price paid will be fine. If he falls short of that then there may be quite a bit of risk that the Devils will extract more value from this trade.

Here is a look at the major moves so far:

Tkachuk Brothers Join Forces in Florida

The Panthers Get: LW Brady Tkachuk

Tkachuk, 26, is coming off a season in which he produced 59 points (22 G, 37 A) in 60 games, the second-best points per game of his career. He is a seven-time 20-goal scorer who has recorded more than 200 hits six times in his career.

He is a dominant net-front presence and, at 6-foot-4, 226 pounds, will add heft to the Panthers’ forward lines. Tkachuk dropped the gloves four times last season, all within a month at the end of the season.

Tkachuk did miss 22 games during the 2025-2026 season, the most games that he has missed in an NHL season and was held off the scoresheet when the Senators were swept out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes.

He also averaged 16:58 of ice time per game last season, his lowest per game time on ice since his rookie season in 2018-2019.

There is no doubt that Tkachuk’s on-ice contributions will be missed in Ottawa, because there are not many players who can provide his combination of brawn and skill, but there are already reports suggesting that, even though he was the Senators’ captain, Tkachuk was not super popular with his teammates, and that might have accelerated the Senators’ plans to move on.

In Florida, there is a possibility that the Panthers run a chaos line with Brady and Matthew Tkachuk on the wings and Sam Bennett at centre. Tkachuk is likely to play a net-front role on the Panthers’ power play and, with a quality team around him, should remain a productive scorer.

Tkachuk has two more seasons left on his contract, with a cap hit of just over $8.2 million per season. It’s fine value for the kind of production that he delivers.

There is reportedly increasing concern around the league that players that won gold with Team USA have perhaps conspired to join forces in Florida, Minnesota, or Vegas (three very popular destinations for those demanding trades), and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested on the 32 Thoughts podcast that it was tough for some of the American players that were playing in Canadian NHL cities after winning gold.

Of course, this ignores the reason that it would have been tough for them – not for winning gold, but for the misogyny and MAGA celebrations that followed. If there was ill-will from the fanbase towards players based on their actions, those are the consequences of those actions. Now that he’s going to be playing in Florida, Tkachuk will not need to worry about such things.

The Senators Get: The 9th and 25th picks in this year’s draft, a first-round pick in 2029 and a second-round pick in 2030.

While the Senators might not love the idea of turning a first-line winger into draft picks, getting three first-round picks and a second-round pick does give Ottawa the draft capital that should allow them to get aggressive in their efforts to fill the hole created by Tkachuk’s departure.

There are already rumours about the Sens making a pitch for Dallas Stars left winger (and restricted free agent) Jason Robertson and that would certainly be a good way to fill the hole in the depth chart. If the Senators are intent on returning to the playoffs next season – and they still have the talent to compete – then they will need to use some of their draft assets to find more immediate help for their roster.

Conclusion: The Panthers get a star player who is under contract for a couple more seasons and will give them a bona fide chance to contend for the Stanley Cup next season. The price they paid is not insignificant, and it should allow the Senators to bring in talent to replace Tkachuk but, until that shoe drops, the Sens are left with potential which brings more uncertainty.

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Kraken Add Young Winger From Panthers

The Kraken Get: RW Mackie Samoskevich

Samoskevich is a 23-year-old winger who has contributed 63 points (27 G, 36 A) in 149 games across the past two seasons for the Panthers, showing promise while he was also under-utilized on a deep Panthers team. He’s an asset at both ends of the rink, which makes it easy to project him into a significant role with the Kraken.

A restricted free agent, Samoskevich is looking at a potential two-year deal worth more than $2 million per season, according to AFP Analytics, but the more important part for Seattle is that Samoskevich could get a chance to play in Seattle’s top six.

If he does secure that kind of role for the Kraken, Samoskevich could very reasonably be expected to be a 20-goal scorer.

For a Kraken team that is desperately trying to add more offense, Samoskevich appears to be a reasonably-priced option to upgrade their forward group, though they are probably going to keep looking to add a player who can have greater impact.

The Panthers Get: The 25th pick in the 2026 Draft, and the higher second-round pick between Winnipeg and Columbus in 2027.

This move was a precursor to the Panthers acquiring Tkachuk, so they already realized value from acquiring the 25th pick in this year’s draft.

Conclusion: The Panthers got decent value in return for a good young player and that fits the team’s timeline to contend immediately better than waiting to find out whether Samoskevich is a legitimate offensive threat in the NHL. That’s a risk that the Kraken are, understandably, more willing to take.

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Maple Leafs Land Top Free Agent Defenceman

The Maple Leafs Get: D Darren Raddysh

Raddysh, 30, was going to be the big ticket defenceman on the free agent market this summer after scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games for the Lightning last season. It was only his third full NHL season, so Raddysh is a relatively late bloomer, but he had already shown his value as a strong puck-moving blueliner before his breakout season.

Last season, however, with Victor Hedman away from the team, the Lightning needed Raddysh to quarterback their top power play unit and Raddysh responded with 26 power play points, including 10 power play goals.

Raddysh has a booming shot from the point, touching 100 MPH during the regular season, and the Lightning outscored opponents 71-49 during five-on-five play with Raddysh on the ice in 2025-2026.

That should undoubtedly help the Maple Leafs, but it also signifies that Toronto is not planning on moving a veteran star like Auston Matthews, for example, because it would make no sense to invest long-term in Raddysh if the team was planning to go through a rebuilding phase.

As it is, there is reason to be wary of the cost for Raddysh, as the Maple Leafs signed him to an 8-year, $68 million contract. If last season’s success does not translate to his new team, or if he slows down in his mid-30s – which is the most likely outcome – then Raddysh’s contract could present some problems.

The Maple Leafs are willing to take the risk because they want to be competitive now. Raddysh doesn’t guarantee that but should give the Leafs a better chance to make the playoffs in 2026-2027.

The Lightning Get: A fifth-round pick in 2026.

For allowing the Maple Leafs to acquire Raddysh before free agency, the Lightning received a fifth-round pick for their troubles. That’s not a major value, but it might offer a 15 percent chance of yielding an NHL player and that’s okay for a player who was already likely to leave as a free agent.

Conclusion: It could give any team pause that the Lightning were prepared to let Raddysh go, but the cost was also prohibitive for their team, especially if Victor Hedman is going to return to action next season. Committing an eight-year term at those prices was more than the Lightning would want, so taking the pick and moving on makes sense for them. From Toronto’s perspective, they are taking a shot at getting back into the playoff mix after a one-year hiatus. There’s some desperation involved, but it’s not an outlandish idea.

Predators Help to Ease Avalanche Cap Crunch

The Predators Get: LW/C Ross Colton and G Isak Posch

Colton is a 29-year-old whose production tailed off this season as his role was reduced on a deep Avalanche roster.

A hard-working winger who has also played centre and had scored at least 16 goals in each of the previous four seasons, Colton managed nine goals and 24 points last season while playing 12:31 per game, his lowest average time on ice since 2022-2023 when he was with Tampa Bay.

Colton plays hard and has topped 140 hits in five straight seasons. He’s also effective, even in a limited role.

With one year left on his contract and a cap hit of $4 million, Colton can ably fill a spot in Nashville’s middle six and if it’s at centre, all the better. Since his contract is expiring, Colton could end up being trade bait during the season if the Predators fall out of playoff contention.

Posch is a 24-year-old netminder who just completed his first full pro season after playing a couple of NCAA seasons for St. Cloud State. He should back up veteran Matt Murray (no, the other one) for Milwaukee in the AHL next season.

The Avalanche Get: G Magnus Chrona and third-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Chrona, 25, has played three AHL seasons, managing a .897 save percentage in 86 games, and while he has played in nine NHL games, he appears to be an AHL-calibre goaltender. He has signed for next season with Brynas in the Swedish Hockey League, so any value he could provide to Colorado would have to be in the future.

A couple of third-round picks may not have amazing value, but each one offers about a one-in-four chance of yielding an NHL player, so two picks would make it about a 50-50 proposition.

Conclusion: The Predators needed more NHL talent and made a relatively low risk move to acquire Colton from an Avalanche team that had to shed salary at the bottom of the depth chart because they are trying to manage an expensive roster with high-end talent.

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Kesselring Looks for Fresh Start in San Jose

The Sharks Get: D Michael Kesselring and the 27th pick in the 2026 Draft

After a couple of promising seasons with Arizona and Utah, 26-year-old Kesselring endured a tough season in Buffalo, battling injuries and then falling out of the lineup.

He had just two assists in 34 games, averaging 13:24 of ice time per game.

Moving to San Jose is an excellent opportunity for Kesselring to re-establish his credentials as a quality NHL defender. The Sharks have two defencemen signed for next season – Dmitry Orlov and Sam Dickinson – so there is opportunity for Kesselring to not only play but potentially earn a top four role on the Sharks blueline.

Kesselring is a restricted free agent coming off a down season, so his projected contract is two seasons at less than $2.9 million per season. That kind of deal could be excellent value for San Jose, and they might consider signing him for a longer term.

The Sabres Get: The 20th pick in the 2026 Draft

There is not a dramatic difference in value from the 20th to the 27th pick in the draft, but for a player who was likely not in the Sabres’ plans, they did all right to find a way to upgrade their top pick in this year’s draft.

Conclusion: Kesselring’s father, Casey, was my centre when I played Jr. B hockey in Kitchener a million years ago, so I root for him to do well. Considering the trajectory he was on before his trade to Buffalo, it was shocking how poorly last season went for him. This seems like a worthwhile chance for the Sharks to take as they try to improve their blueline so that they can compete for a playoff spot next season.

Leafs and Flyers Swap Goalies and Defencemen

The Maple Leafs Get: G Samuel Ersson, D Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick

Ersson is a 26-year-old who is having a hard time proving that he belongs in the NHL. Across the past three seasons, he has a .883 save percentage and has allowed 41.73 Goals Above Expected.

He is a restricted free agent and while AFP Analytics suggests that the restricted free agent could get a one-year, $1.6 million deal, it’s no guarantee that it will be with the Maple Leafs.

With strong goaltending options in the AHL – Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov – the Leafs may not be that invested in Ersson’s future.

Andrae, 24, is on the smaller side at 5-foot-9, 189 pounds, but he’s a reliable puck mover who was solid in a third pair role for the Flyers last season. He contributed 15 points (2 G, 13 A) in 61 games and the Flyers outscored opponents 36-22 with Andrae on the ice during five-on-five play.

Andrae is also a restricted free agent, and an extension is projected around two years and $2.1 million per season.

The third-round pick is pretty much a lottery ticket, but also indicative of the Flyers likely getting better value, especially on the goaltending side of the swap.

The Flyers Get: G Joseph Woll and D Simon Benoit

Woll turns 28 in July and, while he has had some trouble staying healthy, he has played at a higher level than Ersson. Over the past three seasons, Woll has a .904 save percentage with 11.68 Goals Saved Above Expected.

Woll has two years remaining on a contract that brings a $3,666,667 cap hit and he is an upgrade at the backup spot behind Dan Vladar in Philadelphia. Woll is also good enough that it should give the Flyers some leverage in contract negotiations with Vladar, who is going into the final year of his contract.

Benoit will turn 28 before the start of next season and he’s a lunchpail-type defenceman who battles hard and plays a physical game, but he had zero goals and six assists in 73 games last season and the Leafs were outscored 56-30 with him on the ice at five-on-five.

There were 146 defencemen that played at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes last season and Benoit ranked 143rd with an expected goals percentage of 41.4 xGF%.

Benoit has one year left on his contract, with a cap hit of $1.35 million. He likely makes more sense as the No. 7 on Philadelphia’s defensive depth chart.

Conclusion: The Maple Leafs were likely to trade a goaltender coming into the offseason and in doing so, they have changed the look on their third defence pairing. That’s not going to make a massive difference, but it could be a clue about how the new regime intends to build the roster.

• I have become a free agent recently, so while I seek a new landing spot, there will be more hockey articles on this Substack.

Defensive hockey is thriving, believe it or not. While the average goals per game was just a shade over 6.00 last season - the fourth year in a row exceeding that threshold - it was also the lowest scoring season of the past four years.

This happened even though the league's save percentage was .900, the lowest it had been since 1995-1996. So that means goal-scoring went down in a league that had its lowest save percentage in 30 years.

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It's also notable that there are not as many power plays. Last season, teams averaged 2.71 power play opportunities per game which was the lowest ever.

Either players have become much more disciplined or more transgressions are going uncalled. Last season saw NHL teams score on 21.6 percent of their power play chances, the highest success rate since 1985-1986. So maybe that is good enough reason for players to take fewer penalties.

Whatever the case, it does put a challenge on assessing player value, because there are fewer power plays than ever before, but the power plays are having more success.

Keep in mind that from 2023-2024 to 2024-2025, the success rate increased by 3.1 percent, from just under 21 percent to over 21.6 percent. The number of power play opportunities per game, however, dropped 11.4 percent year-over-year, so that more than offset any gains made by power play efficiency.

There are no grand conclusions to be drawn here, because who knows how penalties are going to be enforced from game to game let alone from year to year? It's just something to tuck away while considering reasons to prefer one player over another.

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This year's projections are in a Google Sheet here, including Top 400+ scorers, goaltenders, and position-by-position fantasy rankings. Please make your own copy and do whatever you'd like with the numbers so that they are best suited to your own league settings.

I have contributed to the McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook again and will be writing 20 Fantasy Points on a weekly basis for McKeen’s again this season.

I am only very occasionally on Twitter and spend more time on Threads and Bluesky.

Again: this year's NHL projections are in a Google Sheet here.

Thanks for checking in and I'll see what I can do about providing more hockey content on Substack this season.

With goal production ticking up in recent seasons, there are more players surpassing the 100-point plateau, with nine crossing that threshold last season. There were four 50-goal scorers, led by Toronto's Auston Matthews, who finished with 69 goals, the most a player has recorded since the 1992-1993 season.

As more goals are scored, goaltending becomes an even more challenging position for projections because save percentages are dropping and even goaltenders with excellent reputations are not putting up the numbers that they did even a few years ago.

The projections are in a Google Sheet here and you can make a copy and manipulate the numbers however you like, applying weights that are suited to your own league settings.

I contributed to the McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook again and will be writing 20 Fantasy Points on a weekly basis for McKeen’s again this season.

Pinnacle is the home to my full-time writing, with plenty of hockey coverage in addition to NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAAFB and more. I still post articles on Twitter, but tend to spend more time on Threads and Bluesky.

The projections are in a Google Sheet here.

Keep your stick on the ice and enjoy!

Never mind what I think about it though. More importantly, I see how my 13-year-old daughter responds to it. She loves hockey – enjoys playing competitively and has already become a tortured Toronto Maple Leafs fan – but she reacts differently to the PWHL. She holds players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews in very high regard, but Marie-Philip Poulin is revered. Ella Shelton, a tall, left-shot defender who wears No. 17, holds a special place in her heart, too.

It can’t be overstated how important it is for kids to see representation in the PWHL. The reaction I see from girls in minor hockey to the PWHL is exactly what this league has been targeting. Create something aspirational and let kids dream. It’s going to be incredibly difficult for a kid to make the PWHL, but it has always been incredibly difficult to make the NHL and I still got to hold that dream as a kid.  

I write this as someone who has been in favour of women’s pro hockey for years but seeing first-hand how my daughter looks up to the women in the PWHL, well, it drives home that this whole thing has been long overdue.

She digs the walk-ins, seeing the most creative fashion choices. In Toronto, her focus has been on Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, and Emma Maltais, some pretty fantastic players in addition to emerging style icons.

From my perspective, I have enjoyed learning about more of the players. I knew the stars for Team Canada and Team USA from international tournaments and I’ve watched CWHL and PHF games over the years, but I decided that, with this fresh start to the women’s game, I would make an effort to follow this league more closely.

There is room for coverage to get better – where are my advanced stats? - and I expect that it will, but I am also trying to learn some things on my own, too. I started tracking games, with zone exits and entries plus shot assists and shot attempts during five-on-five play, and I’m only about halfway through the season.  My aforementioned daughter has had a busy hockey schedule this spring and that has hindered my ability to grind through games, but I will continue, and it has already given me a better handle on players’ relative strengths and weaknesses.

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A few of my bird’s eye observations on the first PWHL season:

Early in the season, it looked like a few of the superstars were slow to get going, likely because they had gone four-plus years without playing in organized hockey leagues and, at the same time, they were tasked with being the faces of this new league. Some of them got up to speed and showed that they still had star capability, while some didn’t. With a 24-game schedule, any kind of prolonged slump can be difficult to overcome.

The fan experience at PWHL games has a more organic feel than the NHL, a league that is much more polished and established. Some of it is that people are getting in on the ground floor of this experience. If you start cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, it’s something that millions of people have – for better or worse – been doing over the past century. If you start cheering for PWHL Toronto, you are in on it early and your fandom grows with the franchise from the very beginning.

While the vibes around the PWHL have been awesome, I found it interesting that the Jocks in Jills podcast, hosted by Julia Tocheri and Tessa Bonhomme, made it clear early in the season that the ladies on PWHL New York were having the most fun, like they were the best party destination. When the team finished comfortably in last place, those claims were not quite as endearing. At some point, part of the deal with professional hockey is that you’re open to criticism if the performance isn’t good enough. It didn’t feel like New York took much heat for that, though they did part ways with head coach Howie Draper, so there were some people who felt the need for change.

A few player transactions stood out to me. Mikyla Grant-Mentis’ departure from Ottawa was bizarre. She had three assists in five games and had statistically strong performances in games four and five before getting demoted to the fourth line in the sixth game of the season. After that, she was sent to the press box and then waived. Now, there might be a legitimate yet not disclosed reason for Ottawa to terminate her contract, but for a team that did not appear to be overrun with talent, it’s surprising that they suddenly didn’t have room for a player with Grant-Mentis’ skills.

Boston and Minnesota made a major deal, with Minnesota acquiring defender Sophie Jaques in exchange for centre Susanna Tapani and defender Abby Cook. Tapani is a quality two-way centre who had 13 points and was plus-15 in 26 games.

Jaques was struggling to make a difference in Boston and had zero points in seven games when she was dealt to Minnesota. She took on a bigger role with her new team and contributed 10 points in 15 games while logging more than 20 minutes in every game that she played with Minnesota.

It looks like a deal that could be good for both teams, but Jaques’ results with her new team suggest that she could be one of the top defenders in the league for years to come.

In any case, before my daughter and I hit Coca Cola Coliseum to take in a pressure-packed Game 5 of the series between PWHL Toronto and Minnesota, I thought I’d check in with my own award picks for this first PWHL season.

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BILLIE JEAN KING MVP AWARD

It’s hard for anyone to surpass Spooner, who was a transcendent scorer, tallying 20 goals in 24 games. Poulin finished with a flourish, scoring 14 points in her last nine games of the regular season.

Natalie Spooner, RW, Toronto

Marie-Philip Poulin, C, Montreal

Alex Carpenter, C, New York

Aerin Frankel, G, Boston

Megan Keller, D, Boston

Honourable Mentions: Sarah Nurse, C, Toronto; Erin Ambrose, D, Montreal; Renata Fast, D, Toronto; Corinne Schroeder, G, New York; Grace Zumwinkle, RW, Minnesota

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

One of the exciting features of the PWHL is that there was top-flight first-year talent, and it figures to only get better. Early in the season, Alina Müller looked like a top contender while Emma Maltais and Sophie Jaques both had strong finishes to gain consideration, but Grace Zumwinkle had the greatest impact.

Maybe the biggest surprise is that there are two Minnesota players ahead of Taylor Heise. The first pick in the 2023 Draft missed five games and scored one goal in her last 16 games of the regular season after scoring three goals in three games to start her pro career, but she looks so dangerous that there will surely be more goals in her future.

Grace Zumwinkle, RW, Minnesota

Emma Maltais, LW, Toronto

Alina Müller, C, Boston

Sophie Jaques, D, Minnesota

Maureen Murphy, RW, Montreal

Honourable Mentions: Taylor Heise, C, Minnesota; Gabbie Hughes, C, Ottawa; Ashton Bell, D, Ottawa; Maggie Flaherty, D, Minnesota; Lexie Adzija, LW, Boston

FORWARD OF THE YEAR

The forward who led the league in goals and points is a good bet to get named forward of the year, though Poulin would certainly be a deserving candidate.

Natalie Spooner, RW, Toronto (also points leader and top goal-scorer)

Marie-Philip Poulin, C, Montreal

Alex Carpenter, C, New York

Sarah Nurse, C, Toronto

Grace Zumwinkle, RW, Minnesota

Honourable Mentions: Brianne Jenner, C, Ottawa; Laura Stacey, RW, Montreal; Emma Maltais, LW, Toronto; Kendall Coyne Schofield, LW, Minnesota; Daryl Watts, LW, Ottawa

DEFENDER OF THE YEAR

I’m not yet familiar enough with PWHL discourse to know for sure what popular opinion is when it comes to the awards, so I don’t know if my choice for top defender is standard or a bit of an upset. There are several quality contenders for top defender but, to my eyes, Keller was the best all-around blueliner this season, controlling play at both ends, particularly during five-on-five play.

Megan Keller, Boston

Erin Ambrose, Montreal

Renata Fast, Toronto

Ella Shelton, New York

Savannah Harmon, Ottawa

Honourable Mentions: Sophie Jaques, Minnesota; Jocelyn Larocque, Toronto; Lee Stecklein, Minnesota; Ashton Bell, Ottawa; Jaime Bourbonnais, New York

GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR

There were some excellent netminders in the PWHL but with a short 24-game schedule, those that played the greater percentage of the games naturally warranted greater consideration.

Aerin Frankel, Boston

Corinne Schroeder, New York

Kristen Campbell, Toronto

Ann-Renee Desbiens, Montreal

Emerance Maschmeyer, Ottawa

COACH OF THE YEAR

Ryan deserves credit for Toronto pulling out of an early-season slump to finish with the league’s best record, even if he also had plenty of star power at his disposal. Boston managed to make the playoffs without great production from some of their stars, so Kessel would be a very deserving candidate, too.

Troy Ryan, Toronto

Courtney Kessel, Boston

Kori Cheverie, Montreal

RIP DUTCH

Finally, since I’m writing, I would like to offer my condolences to the friends and family of long-time TSN Sportscentre host Darren Dutchyshen, who died Thursday. I did not usually work closely with Dutch but have a few memories:

Long before I ever worked at TSN, I remembered watching a Maple Leafs game against Dallas on New Year’s Day, 1996. Dutch was hosting and I’m pretty sure that Terry Crisp was in studio with him. It was obvious that Dutch was feeling the effects of the night before. Before they left for commercial at one point, Dutch’s head was already down on the desk, and Crisp was clearly amused at the pain Dutch was playing through.

Early in my time at TSN, I played pickup basketball with him. It was a bunch of Internet staff and Sportscentre story editors, along with one of the biggest stars at the network at a random gym in Toronto. As you might expect, he could set a firm pick.

There was a night at Real Sports when Coors Light was sponsoring a fantasy football event for TSN. I was involved, along with Dutch and Cabbie, two people who were much more experienced on the mic, but Dutch was so supportive to me and just a fun hang for the entire night.

Anyway, there are people at TSN as well as friends and family that were obviously much closer than I ever was to Darren, but I will always remember that he was a fun-loving character and genuine good guy, one that made TSN what it was during its peak years. 

Here is a look at my unofficial awards ballot (For the record, I don’t have PHWA votes for these awards).

HART TROPHY

Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado

The Avalanche centre set career highs with 51 goals and 140 points while leading the league with 405 shots on goal. The ice is tilted in Colorado’s favour when MacKinnon is on the ice.

Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton

Recorded 100 assists in a season for the first time in his career, his fourth straight season with more than 100 points. It could have easily been another Hart Trophy season for McDavid, but he missed six games and that created enough of an opening for MacKinnon to barge through.

Auston Matthews, C, Toronto

While much was made of the Maple Leafs’ unsuccessful late-season quest to get Matthews his 70th goal, it should not be ignored that Matthews had career highs of 69 goals and 107 points, while also producing strong defensive results.  

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay

It says something about the competition for this award when the league’s leading scorer sits fourth in the rankings. The Lightning winger also had 100 assists on his way to 144 points, with 53 points on the power play.

Artemi Panarin, LW, N.Y. Rangers

Hit career highs with 49 goals and 120 points, a dominant season that, in most cases, would warrant even higher placement. An increased shot rate made Panarin more dangerous than ever.

Honourable Mentions: David Pastrnak, Boston; Quinn Hughes, Vancouver; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh; Sam Reinhart, Florida; Zach Hyman, Edmonton.

NORRIS TROPHY

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver

Not only did Hughes lead defencemen in scoring with a career-high 92 points, but his defensive results were excellent, too, making him fully deserving of the honour as the league’s top defenceman.

Cale Makar, Colorado

Even though he finished with a career-best 90 points, Makar’s all-around impact was not at the level that it was a couple of seasons ago, when he won his first Norris Trophy. He only has one so far, but it seems like Makar will be in perennial contention.

Roman Josi, Nashville

The 2020 Norris Trophy winner led Nashville’s second-half charge, producing 56 points in 45 games after the calendar flipped to 2024. It seems quite likely that this will be the fifth time in his career that Josi finishes in the top five of Norris Trophy voting.

Adam Fox, N.Y. Rangers

Fox has been a top five finisher in Norris voting for three straight seasons, winning in 2021. He does not score quite as much as the most prolific defencemen, but still topped 70 points for a third straight season despite missing 10 games. Fox is a dominant player at both ends of the ice.

Evan Bouchard, Edmonton

While he might be known more for his role on the Oilers power play, where he scored 35 of his 82 points, Bouchard excelled at evens, too. The Oilers controlled 60.3 percent of shot attempts and 61.7 percent of expected goals at five-on-five with Bouchard on the ice, outscoring opponents 94 to 58. 

Honourable Mentions: Miro Heiskanen, Dallas; Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo; Jaccob Slavin, Carolina; Gustav Forsling, Florida;  Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay.

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VEZINA TROPHY

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg

Hellebuyck has consistently been one of the top goaltenders in the league and this season he recorded 31.96 Goals Saved Above Expected (per Natural Stat Trick), which was the best in the league by more than nine goals.

Thatcher Demko, Vancouver

A late-season injury limited Demko’s chances but it was still an excellent season overall, his best in the NHL. His .918 save percentage ranked second (behind Hellebuyck’s .921) among goaltenders that played at least 40 games.

Jordan Binnington, St. Louis

An excellent second half of the season put Binnington into contention. After the calendar flipped to 2024, he had a .926 save percentage in 31 games and he finished second in Goals Saved Above Expected with 22.64.

Jeremy Swayman, Boston

Although he did not play as many games as the other top contenders, Swayman posted a .916 save percentage in 44 games.

Jacob Markstrom, Calgary

While a .905 save percentage doesn’t stand out, his Goals Saved Above Expected, which factors in the quality of shots faced, earns Markstrom a spot in the top five.

Honourable Mentions: Linus Ullmark, Boston; Igor Shesterkin, N.Y. Rangers; Charlie Lindgren, Washington; Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida; Joey Daccord, Seattle.

CALDER TROPHY

Connor Bedard, C, Chicago

He slumped with one goal (and seven assists) in his last 14 games, missed time with a broken jaw, and has room to improve defensively, but Bedard was also very dangerous offensively, scoring 61 points (22 G, 39 A) in 68 games without much of a supporting cast in Chicago.

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota

Put up 47 points (8 G, 39 A) while playing nearly 25 minutes per game, which certainly gives Faber credibility as a Calder choice. While the award is not an exercise in finding which player had the least help, that does have to be considered as a difference between the top two candidates.

Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey

Dougie Hamilton’s injury might have pushed Hughes into a bigger role than expected and he did finish with 47 points (9 G, 38 A) while playing almost 22 minutes per game.

Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Carolina

Still eligible for the Calder after playing 24 games in 2022-2023, Kochetkov got off to a terrible start, with a .871 save percentage in his first 11 games. He rebounded, though, and finished with a .911 save percentage in 42 games.

Marco Rossi, C, Minnesota

After managing just one assist in 19 games for the Wild last season, Rossi turned in a quality season, with 40 points (21 G, 19 A) and a reliable two-way game.

Honourable Mentions: Joel Hofer, G, St. Louis; Logan Cooley, C, Arizona; Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey; Tyson Foerster, RW, Philadelphia; Luke Evangelista, RW, Nashville.

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SELKE TROPHY

Jordan Staal, C, Carolina

Staal has warranted more Selke Trophy love for a while and he has just two top five finishes in his career, including fourth place last season. Nevertheless, the 35-year-old pivot was dominant defensively once again, with the lowest expected goals against (1.79) per 60 minutes of any forward to play more than 500 five-on-five minutes.

Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida

Surely, Barkov will be the more popular choice and he had an excellent season, though it just wasn’t quite as strong defensively as Staal’s. This has been one of the best all-around seasons of Barkov’s career, but that also includes his offensive contributions.

Adam Lowry, C, Winnipeg

A big strong center like the two above him on this list, Lowry was on the ice for 1.21 goals against per 60 minutes, the best mark of his career and the lowest rate among forwards that played at least 1000 five-on-five minutes.

Radek Faksa, C, Dallas

Despite an offensive zone start percentage of 37.3 percent, Faksa ranked among the top ten in expected goals against per 60 minutes (minimum 700 five-on-five minutes), with 2.00, which was just barely behind Barkov’s 1.98 xGA/60.

Noah Cates, LW, Philadelphia

An outstanding defensive forward, Cates would have deserved to be even higher in the voting if he had played more than 59 games. Among forwards to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes, Cates is the only one in the top six for shots against per 60 minutes that didn’t play for Carolina and the only one in the top eight for expected goals against per 60 minutes that didn’t play for Carolina or Dallas.

Honourable Mentions: Ryan McLeod, C, Edmonton; Marcus Foligno, LW, Minnesota; Jordan Martinook, LW, Carolina; Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver; Lars Eller, C, Pittsburgh.

JACK ADAMS AWARD

Rick Tocchet, Vancouver

It should not have been such a surprise that the Canucks would play winning hockey under Tocchet, as they had played to a 100-point pace when he took over in 2022-2023. The Canucks were even better this season and Tocchet brought the best out of Vancouver’s star players, going from a team that missed the playoffs the year before to first place in the Pacific Division.

Rick Bowness, Winnipeg

The Jets could have easily taken a step back this season, but Bowness helped guide the club to 110 points, their best season since 2017-2018. Like the Canucks, the Jets were a top 10 possession team and that is an indication of strong team play. Bowness has announced his retirement, but he leaves with another quality season behind the bench.

Andrew Brunette, Nashville

It’s not as simple as forcing the team to abandon its plans to see U2 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, but that did set the Predators on an 18-game point streak, which vaulted them firmly into playoff position. Nashville was a strong possession team and got excellent performance from both veterans and young players that were inserted into the lineup.

Peter Laviolette, N.Y. Rangers

The veteran bench boss has never won the Jack Adams, despite nine seasons with a team playing at a pace of 100 points or better. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy and Laviolette seemed to push the right buttons with players up and down the lineup.

Kris Knoblauch, Edmonton

There is something to be said about goaltending making a coach, as the biggest difference between Knoblauch and his predecessor, Jay Woodcroft, is that Oilers goaltenders stopped avoiding pucks. That said, the Oilers had a .703 points percentage under Knoblauch, which was a 115-point pace over a full season.

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LADY BYNG TROPHY

Auston Matthews, C, Toronto

Scoring 69 goals and 107 points to go with 20 penalty minutes is more than sufficient qualification for Matthews to add another trophy to his repertoire.

Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver

The Canucks star pivot tallied 89 points with just 12 penalty minutes. He has never had more than 18 penalty minutes in a season, so he figures to contend for the Lady Byng on a consistent basis.

Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina

Top four in Lady Byng voting in each of the past four seasons, winning in 2021, and just had 37 points and eight penalty minutes while playing nearly 21 minutes per game on the Carolina blueline.

Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay

One of the finalists in 2023, Point put up 90 points with just 14 penalty minutes while playing more than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career.

Jesper Bratt, RW, New Jersey

Scored a career-high 83 points with just 12 penalty minutes, which was an impressive campaign for a struggling team.

Due to injury, I did not include Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and it is difficult to know what to make of players who have missed significant time due to injuries. Filip Forsberg, Max Pacioretty, and Nikolaj Ehlers are some of the players who have performed at a very high level on a per-game basis, but there have not been enough games played.

There are invariably some big movers, players that climb the ladder with a breakthrough season. Tage Thompson, Linus Ullmark, Clayton Keller, Tim Stutzle, Jared McCann, Hampus Lindholm and Troy Terry were among the highest-rated players that were not in the Top 100 before last season. It’s not all breakthrough players, though. Even a resurgent Brent Burns returned to the list following a strong season in Carolina.

• Read: Fantasy Projections for the 2023-2024 Season

As for the top of the list, there are few surprises, though Matthew Tkachuk has climbed rapidly into the No. 2 slot. Jack Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin, William Nylander, and Nico Hischier are among the big risers near the top of the rankings.

1 (1) Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton

The three-time Hart Trophy winner hit career highs with 64 goals and 153 points in 2022-2023.

2 (33) Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Florida

Back-to-back seasons with at least 40 goals and 100 points; Tkachuk’s team has outscored opponents 181-86 at even strength over the past two seasons.

3 (4) Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado

Missed 11 games last season and still had the first 100-point season of his career.

4 (2) Auston Matthews, C, Toronto

A down season in 2022-2023 still brought 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games.

5 (3) Cale Makar, D, Colorado

Durability has been the only question for a blueliner who won the Norris Trophy in 2021-2022 and has been a finalist for three straight seasons.

6 (15) David Pastrnak, RW, Boston

Recorded career highs with 61 goals and 113 points last season. How will he fare with Boston’s losses down the middle of the ice?

7 (16) Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto

Still seeking his first 100-point season, the creative winger plays in all situations and has 196 points in 152 games over the past two seasons.

8 (72) Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey

Only 22-years-old, Hughes tallied 99 points last season and that seems like it is just the beginning for what he is going to accomplish in this league.

9 (18) Adam Fox, D, N.Y. Rangers

The 2020-2021 Norris Trophy winner has finished in the Top 5 in voting for three straight seasons and has topped 70 points in back-to-back seasons.

10 (26) Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas

A devastating force in the offensive zone, Robertson has had back-to-back seasons with more than 40 goals and hit a career high of 109 points last season.

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11 (8) Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton

Has exceeded 100 points in four of the past five seasons and the only one that missed was the shortened 2020-2021 season when he put up 84 points in 56 games.

12 (6) Kirill Kaprizov, LW, Minnesota

A dynamic scoring winger, Kaprizov has had back-to-back 40-goal seasons, even though he missed 15 games in 2022-2023.

13 (24) Ilya Sorokin, G, N.Y. Islanders

The runner-up for the Vezina Trophy last season has a .924 save percentage over the past two seasons.

14 (9) Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh

Scored 93 points last season, the second-highest point total in his past nine seasons.

15 (96) Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo

The 23-year-old has really come into his own in the past couple of seasons and broke through for a career high 73 points last season.

16 (11) Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay

An elite point producer who put up 113 points in 2023-2024, Kucherov’s all-around game has shown signs of slipping.

17 (35) Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver

Coming off his first 100-point season, Pettersson has ascended to his expected role as a franchise centre.

18 (5) Igor Shesterkin, G, N.Y. Rangers

The 2021-2022 Vezina Trophy winner, Shesterkin was still well above average last season but not the dominant force that he was the year before.

19 (10) Roman Josi, D, Nashville

An outstanding puck-moving defenceman who leads the Nashville attack, Josi has 41 goals and 155 points in 147 games over the past two seasons.

20 (29) Sebastian Aho, C, Carolina

Scored at better than a point-per-game pace over the previous four seasons before production dipped last season. Still scored at least 30 goals for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

21 (12) Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida

A strong play driver who has produced 224 points (88 G, 136 A) in 185 games over the past three seasons.

22 (39) Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay

Led the playoffs in goal-scoring during both of Tampa Bay’s most recent Stanley Cup wins and broke through for a career-high 51 goals and 95 points last season.

23 (20) Artemi Panarin, LW, N.Y. Rangers

Has produced 341 points in 268 games across four seasons with the Rangers, which ranks fourth in the league in that time. However, his playoff performances have raised concerns.

24 (13) Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado

Scored a career-high 55 goals and 105 points last season and has shown that he can handle centre when Nathan MacKinnon has been sidelined. Might be interesting to run MacKinnon and Rantanen 1-2 down the middle.

25 (NR) Tage Thompson, C, Buffalo

Has turned into a star in very short order, going for 47 goals and 94 points last season. Thompson can improve his play away from the puck, but there is a ton to like about what happens when he has the puck on his stick.

26 (14) Brad Marchand, LW, Boston

It will be interesting to see how the new Bruins captain handles playing without Patrice Bergeron, but he has been able to manage Bergeron’s absences in the past. Marchand has been an elite play driver, but his goal scoring dropped off dramatically last season.

27 (51) Roope Hintz, C, Dallas

A premier two-way forward who is coming off back-to-back 37-goal seasons and is part of one of the most dangerous lines in the league, with Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski.

28 (19) Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston

Although his defensive game is among the very best, McAvoy has probably been underrated to some degree because he does not produce huge point totals.

29 (62) William Nylander, RW, Toronto

For all of the critiques of Nylander’s game, the creative forward has continued to improve and has 167 points (73 G, 94 A) in 163 games over the past two seasons.

30 (94) Nico Hischier, C, New Jersey

The runner-up in voting for the Selke Award last season, Hischier also had career highs with 30 goals and 80 points.

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31 (27) Mark Stone, RW, Vegas

An outstanding two-way forward, Stone has been battling injuries in recent seasons and the uncertainty over his tender back is the biggest concern surrounding his game.

32 (81) Timo Meier, LW, New Jersey

His production tailed off after he was acquired by the Devils, but he still finished with 40 goals and Meier has proven to be an elite shot generator.

33 (84) Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa

Steadily improving power forward who tallied career highs with 35 goals and 83 points last season, which nicely complements his physical contributions.

34 (100) Erik Karlsson, D, Pittsburgh

Won the Norris Trophy last season after scoring a career-high 101 points (25 G, 76 A), a reminder that he can still be a difference maker.

35 (70) Mathew Barzal, RW, N.Y. Islanders

His offensive production has not come close to his rookie season, when he scored 85 points, but Barzal still drives play and generates chances at a high level.

36 (53) Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Carlina

A 23-year-old heading into his sixth season, Svechnikov has been very good, but it feels like there is untapped potential still waiting to take him another level. It might be difficult to find that level this year as he returns from a torn ACL.

37 (49) Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver

The Canucks’ new captain finished with a career-high 76 points (7 G, 69 A) last season and his skating and playmaking skills are crucial to Vancouver’s attack.

38 (40) Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas

Moved into more of an offensive role last season and finished with a career-high 73 points (11 G, 62 A).

39 (38) Jack Eichel, C, Vegas

It was a long road back from neck surgery, but Eichel led the playoffs in scoring with 26 points on the way to the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup victory.

40 (67) Pavel Buchnevich, RW, St. Louis

Has quietly produced 191 points (76 G, 115 A) in 190 games over the past three seasons and the puck moves the right way when he’s on the ice.

41 (85) Jesper Bratt, LW, New Jersey

Putting up dominant possession numbers to go with back-to-back 73-point seasons.

42 (78) Chris Kreider, LW, N.Y. Rangers

Veteran winger drives play, brings a physical game, and has scored 88 goals over the past two seasons.

43 (37) Filip Forsberg, LW, Nashville

On a per-game basis, Forsberg would rate even higher, but he has not played 70 games in an NHL season since 2016-2017.

44 (NR) Brent Burns, D, Carolina

Even at 38, Burns remains an impact player, who not surprisingly thrived with his move to a Hurricanes team that dominates puck possession.

45 (28) Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Columbus

Johnny Hockey’s first season in Ohio was not a success, but he is a year removed from finishing fourth in Hart Trophy voting.

46 (25) Mika Zibanejad, C, N.Y. Rangers

Hit career highs with 39 goals and 91 points and has put up double-digit power play goals in six straight seasons.

47 (7) Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay

Hedman’s performance dipped last season, and he finished outside the top three of Norris Trophy voting for the first time since 2015-2016.

48 (NR) Linus Ullmark, G, Boston

Played in a career-high 49 games on his way to winning the Vezina Trophy last season. It was miles better than anything Ullmark had shown before so now the question is if he can do it again.

49 (41) Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey

Set career highs with 22 goals and 74 points last season, finishing sixth in Norris Trophy voting, the third time in the past four seasons that he finished in the top seven.

50 (NR) Clayton Keller, LW, Arizona

Reached career highs with 37 goals and 86 points last season, tallying 45 points in 32 games after the All-Star break.

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51 (NR) Tim Stutzle, C, Ottawa

Erupted for 39 goals and 90 points in his third NHL season and he is still just 21.

52 (NR) Jared McCann, C, Seattle

McCann has really rounded into form in the past few seasons and had career highs of 40 goals and 70 points last season, which goes nicely with strong play-driving numbers.

53 (77) Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit

With 148 points (63 G, 85 A) in 151 games over the past two seasons, Larkin has been productive on struggling Red Wings teams.

54 (NR) Hampus Lindholm, D, Boston

Given more offensive freedom with the Bruins, Lindholm had a career-high 53 points to go with a league-leading plus-49.

55 (36) Juuse Saros, G, Nashville

The representative for smaller goaltenders has started 165 games in the past three seasons, posting a .920 save percentage in the process.

56 (99) Joel Eriksson Ek, C, Minnesota

A strong two-way pivot who had a career-high 61 points last season and has been Top 10 in Selke voting for three straight seasons.

57 (91) Matthew Boldy, LW, Minnesota

The 22-year-old winger put up 31 goals and 63 points in his first full NHL campaign.

58 (NR) Troy Terry, RW, Anaheim

A scoring winger who has elevated his game in the past two seasons, putting up 60 goals and 128 points in 145 games.

59 (64) Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh

Even if he is not as dangerous as he was at his peak, Malkin has scored a point per game or better in 11 of the past 12 seasons and played 82 games last season for the first time since 2008-2009.

60 (52) Alex Pietrangelo, D, Vegas

The No. 1 defenceman on the Stanley Cup champs, Pietrangelo has not been outscored at five-on-five in the NHL since 2008-2009 when he was returned to junior after a nine-game sample.

61 (47) Devon Toews, D, Colorado

Toews gets overshadowed by Cale Makar, naturally, but has accrued 107 points with a plus-91 rating in the past two seasons.

62 (50) Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles

Even at 36, Kopitar is a quality two-way centre. He is a perennial Selke candidate and his 28 goals and 74 points last season were his highest since 2017-2018.

63 (32) Steven Stamkos, LW, Tampa Bay

While it would be natural for a player in his 30s to hit the decline phase of his career, Stamkos has 76 goals and 190 points in he past two seasons.

64 (NR) Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo

A big winger who can move, Tuch has responded well to a bigger with the Sabres. He produced career highs with 36 goals and 79 points last season.

65 (34) Jake Guentzel, LW, Pittsburgh

Frequently skating on Sidney Crosby’s win, Guentzel has had three seasons with at least 35 goals, including last season when he scored 36 goals and 73 points.

66 (54) Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg

Dynamic scoring winger who has tallied 173 points (78 G, 95 A) in 161 games over the past two seasons.

67 (NR) Tyler Toffoli, RW, New Jersey

The veteran winger has made a career of pushing play in the right direction, but he also hit for career highs in goals (34) and points (73) in Calgary last season.

68 (44) MacKenzie Weegar, D, Calgary

An outstanding shot suppressor who consistently produces strong possession numbers, Weegar was reliable in his first season with the Flames.

69 (NR) Zach Hyman, LW, Edmonton

A blue-collar winger who is a great complement to elite forwards, Hyman broke through for career bests with 36 goals and 83 points last season.

70 (65) Kevin Fiala, RW, Los Angeles

The creative winger has contributed 157 points (5 G, 101 A) in 151 games across the past two seasons.

71 (43) Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg

No goaltender has handled the kind of workload that has become routine for Hellebuyck, and he has finished in the top four of Vezina voting four times in the past six seasons, winning in 2019-2020.

72 (58) Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary

Kadri’s first season with the Flames was not to the level that he had established in Colorado, but there is lots to like about the feisty and skilled centre.

73 (NR) Bo Horvat, C, N.Y. Islanders

While Horvat scored a career-high 38 goals last season, he scored 31 goals in 49 games for Vancouver then added just seven goals in 30 games with the Islanders.

74 (79) Claude Giroux, LW, Ottawa

Joined the Senators as a free agent and, even at 35 years old, Giroux put up 79 points, including a career-high 35 goals.

75 (NR) Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton

Injured to start this season, Ekholm was an outstanding addition to the Oilers last season, providing stability and strong shot suppression results.

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76 (76) Sam Reinhart, RW, Florida

A heady forward who has 64 goals and 149 points in the past two seasons and the puck typically moves the right way when he is on the ice.

77 (NR) Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary

The veteran centre has consistently been an excellent play driver and contributed a career-high 56 points (19 G, 37 A) last season.

78 (NR) Filip Gustavsson, G, Minnesota

Gustavsson had an awesome season in his first year with the Wild but is still dealing with a small sample of NHL action, playing a career-high 39 games last season.

79 (42) Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington

Ovi has a large sample that suggests he is on his way to becoming the leading goal-scorer in NHL history, but his defensive play is a liability at this stage of his career.

80 (NR) Josh Morrissey, D, Winnipeg

The veteran blueliner erupted for a career-high 76 points (16 G, 60 A) last season but his defensive play slipped, but he still finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting.

81 (NR) Jeff Skinner, LW, Buffalo

Last season was the sixth time in his career that Skinner scored at least 30 goals, notching 35 on his way to a career-high 82 points.

82 (NR) Mikhail Sergachev, D, Tampa Bay

Continuing to take on a bigger role on the Lightning blueline, Sergachev quarterbacked the top power play unit and contributed a career-high 64 points last season.

83 (23) Nikolaj Ehlers, RW, Winnipeg

Bizarrely averaged a career low 15:39 of ice time per game last season but has established his credentials as a premier play driving winger during five-on-five play.

84 (60) Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina

An excellent defensive defenceman who earns Norris Trophy votes every year though he never scores enough to get full consideration.

85 (30) J.T. Miller, C, Vancouver

A skilled and physical forward who has 181 points (64 G, 117 A) in 161 games over the past two seasons and would rate higher with greater commitment to his defensive play.

86 (82) Jared Spurgeon, G, Minnesota

The Wild captain routinely drives play and the Wild have outscored opponents with Spurgeon on the ice in nine of the past ten seasons.

87 (71) Ryan O’Reilly, Nashville

While his point production crashed last season, O’Reilly was top five in Selke voting in each of the previous four seasons.

88 (74) Joe Pavelski, RW, Dallas

At 39-years-old, Pavelski remains durable and productive. His fantastic ability to tip pucks in front of the net should keep adding goals to his ledger.

89 (98) Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles

A workhorse on the Kings blueline, Doughty has averaged at least 25 minutes per game in each of the past 11 seasons.  

90 (31) Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Calgary

It is not easy to score 60 fewer points while still playing a full season, but Huberdeau went from 115 points in his last season with Florida to 55 in his first year with the Flames.

91 (48) Shea Theodore, D, Vegas

A premier puck-moving defenceman who missed 27 games with injury last season but continued to perform at a high level when healthy.

92 (NR) Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas

The 24-year-old netminder has improved in each of his three NHL seasons and finished fifth in Vezina voting last season.

93 (NR) Jonathan Marchessault, LW, Vegas

A consistently productive winger who elevated his play in the postseason, tallying 25 points, including a playoff-leading 13 goals.

94 (46) Elias Lindholm, C, Calgary

Even though his production dipped last season, Lindholm is a durable and productive two-way centre who has 146 points (64 G, 82 A) in 162 games over the past two seasons.

95 (NR) Carter Verhaeghe, LW, Florida

Making the most of his opportunity in Florida, Verhaeghe has become a premier shot generator and busted out for 42 goals and 73 points last season.

96 (NR) Patrik Laine, RW, Columbus

An enormous talent in a large frame, Laine has had trouble staying healthy, but he has still recorded 108 points (48 G, 60 A) in 111 games over the past two seasons.

97 (95) Trevor Zegras, C, Anaheim

The 22-year-old pivot might lead the league in style points but needs to round out his game if he is going to be a real impact player.

98 (63) Tomas Hertl, C, San Jose

A powerful centre who pushes the puck in the right direction and has 127 points (52 G, 75 A) in 161 games over the past two seasons.

99 (NR) Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis

Speedy winger who has 148 points (64 G, 84 A) in 153 games over the past two seasons.

100 (NR) Vince Dunn, Seattle

It seemed like it was a long time coming, but the 26-year-old blueliner had a breakthrough season in 2022-2023, scoring 64 points (14 G, 50 A).

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Players to fall off the Top 100 from last season:

Patrice Bergeron (17), Andrei Vasilevskiy (21), Aaron Ekblad (22), Gabriel Landeskog (45), Patrick Kane (55), Jacob Markstrom (56), John Carlson (57), Phillip Danault (59), Oliver Bjorkstrand (66), Kris Letang (68), Thatcher Demko (69), Alex DeBrincat (73), Matt Duchene (75), Zach Werenski (80), Darnell Nurse (83), Valeri Nichushkin (86), Vladimir Tarasenko (87), Owen Power (88), Robert Thomas (89), Moritz Seider (90), Morgan Rielly (92), John Tavares (93), Thomas Chabot (97).

The NHL has seen a veritable offensive explosion in the past couple of seasons and that has pushed individual scoring totals higher.

Last season, 19 players scored at least 40 goals and 11 players put up at least 100 points. A decade ago, in the 2013-2014 season, there were three 40-goal scorers and Sidney Crosby had 104 points. He was the only skater in the league with more than 90 points that season.

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That uptick in league scoring also presents challenges for goaltenders. It’s difficult enough to forecast goaltender performance, but now that they are getting beaten more frequently, there is a greater variance between the very best goaltenders and the rest.

The projections are in a Google Sheet here and you can make a copy and manipulate the numbers however you like, applying weights that are suited to your own league settings.

I contributed to the McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook again and will be writing 20 Fantasy Points on a weekly basis for McKeen’s again this season.

My full-time writing home is now with Pinnacle, where I will have plenty of hockey coverage. Drop by to check it out and you can always find my content on Twitter, Threads, and Bluesky. I’m sure I’ll have more hockey content here, too, if it doesn’t fit with those outlets.

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Once again, the projections are in a Google Sheet here. Enjoy!

Whether the Penguins should be in the business of going for it with their aging veteran core in place is certainly up for debate but, after last summer when they re-signed Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin, there is obviously little appetite for the franchise to start unloading veteran stars to embark on a rebuild around 36-year-old Sidney Crosby.

Here is a look at the three-team deal bringing Karlsson to Pittsburgh.

·         Penguins take a big swing.

·         Sharks get little beyond financial flexibility but that should not be ignored.

·         Canadiens likely poised to make more moves.

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The Penguins Get: D Erik Karlsson, C Rem Pitlick, LW Dillon Hamaliuk, and a third-round pick in 2026.

Karlsson, 33, is coming off his third career Norris Trophy win, recording career highs of 25 goals, 76 assists, and 101 points. His play driving ranges between good to great, thanks in large part to his ability to generate offense because, even at this stage of his career, he can fly. He is not a lockdown defender, by any stretch, but his defensive shortcomings do not compare with all of the positives he generates with the puck on his stick.

In Pittsburgh, Karlsson will presumably get turned loose the same way he was in San Jose because, if not, what’s the point of acquiring him? That also means that either the Penguins run two defensemen on their top power play unit or Kris Letang gets bumped to the second unit, so that is at least a deployment issue to watch.

Karlsson is making $11.5 million per season for the next four seasons and the Sharks are retaining just $1.5 million, which is part of the reason that they did not bring in great talent in return. If San Jose was willing to eat more salary, especially considering the contract runs for four more years, then they could have very well held out for better picks and prospects. In this case, it appears that ensuring more financial flexibility was the priority.

Pitlick is a 26-year-old forward who rode high percentages to 37 points in 66 games in 2021-2022 but managed just 15 points in 46 games last season while getting caved in defensively. He might be able to fill a role as the 12^th or 13^th forward on an NHL roster but if he continues to struggle without the puck, his $1.1 million cap hit could be buried in the minors relatively easily.

Hamaliuk, 22, was a second-round pick of the Sharks in 2019 and has battled injuries since. The 6-foot-4 winger had seven points (3 G, 4 A) in six ECHL games last season. He seems like a longshot to make the NHL, but this is a fresh start and if he can stay healthy, maybe he could have a chance.

Getting a third-round pick in 2026 helps to offset the draft capital that the Penguins used to make this deal happen.

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The Sharks Get: C/RW Mikael Granlund, LW Mike Hoffman, D Jan Rutta, and a first-round pick.

Granlund, 31, has recorded more than 60 points three times in his career, a testament to his playmaking ability, but his production has been in decline. He produced 41 points (10 G, 31 A) in 79 games last season, the third time in the past four seasons that he finished with less than 0.55 points per game. His declining offensive impact and poor defensive play made him a highly suspect acquisition when the Penguins picked up him at the trade deadline, and it is no surprise that new GM Kyle Dubas did not hesitate to move on from Granlund.

Granlund brings a $5 million cap hit through next season, so the Sharks might as well see if they can re-establish some value in Granlund as an asset. He can play center or wing and his playmaking skills can help elevate his linemates, but unless Granlund’s defensive game picks up, he could be in for a rough ride on a Sharks team that will be overmatched most nights.

Hoffman is a 33-year-old winger who can shoot the puck but does not generate a lot of offense at this stage of his career. He has been a competent defensive winger in recent seasons but not to the point that it should be considered a big part of his skill set.

In the final year of a contract that brings a $4.5 million cap hit, Hoffman is not likely to make a big difference for the Sharks this season, but if he can score some goals, maybe that would generate enough of a market for the Sharks to extract some value in a trade for Hoffman before the deadline.

Rutta, 33, is a stay-at-home defenseman who was a part of two Stanley Cup winners in Tampa Bay and he played 17:07 per game for Pittsburgh last season, his highest time on ice since his rookie season in 2017-2018.

As a defensive specialist, Rutta is a good fit for a third pairing, and he does offer a veteran steadiness on a Sharks defense that is not likely to be great.  

The first-round pick that the Sharks receive from Pittsburgh is Top-10 protected in 2024, which would then push the pick, unprotected, to 2025. A first round pick in the middle range of the first round is not likely to bring in a star player, but it is a better than even chance to yield an NHL player.

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The Canadiens Get: D Jeff Petry, G Casey DeSmith, RW Nathan Legare, and a second-round pick in 2025.

Petry, 35, has been a top-four defenseman throughout his career, playing more than 21 minutes for each of the past 12 seasons. He contributed 31 points (5 G, 26 A) in 61 games last season but also tied a career high with 190 hits despite missing 21 games.

While Petry would likely be an improvement for Montreal’s defense, early reports suggest that he could be on the move again, possibly even before the season begins. He has a $6.25 million cap hit for the next two seasons, but Pittsburgh is retaining 20% of his salary, which could make Petry quite appealing as a trade candidate if Montreal chooses to retain salary on their next Petry trade.

DeSmith, who will turn 32 this week, has been a solid backup goaltender for the Penguins. In the past three seasons, per Natural Stat Trick, he has 1.68 Goals Saved Above Expected. He appeared in a career high 38 games last season.

With Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault already under contract for Montreal, there does seem to be a logjam at the position. The idea that DeSmith offers positional insurance if the Canadiens lose prospect Cayden Primeau on waivers is a possibility, but also could be some 3-D chess because the Canadiens are unlikely to be a contending team that desperately needs quality goaltending depth throughout their organization.

Legare, 22, was a third-round pick of the Penguins in 2019. He has 35 points in 125 AHL games over the past two seasons, which does not give him the profile of a future NHLer, but perhaps he will get a better look in the Canadiens’ system.

For their help facilitating the deal, the Habs also get a second-round pick from Pittsburgh in 2026, which should offer about a one-in-three chance of becoming an NHL player, but many years in the future.

VERDICT

Pittsburgh has to be thrilled to acquire a superstar like Karlsson at very little cost. It might be a fool’s errand to try to keep this Penguins roster in contention but bringing in a game-breaker like Karlsson at least gives them a chance to get back into the playoff mix. San Jose is not getting much value out of this. The players they receive are essentially stopgaps until their prospects are ready to take on bigger roles, which is underwhelming, but clearing Karlsson’s contract paves the way for San Jose to truly rebuild and have financial flexibility moving forward. Montreal’s involvement gives them some assets with good value, but it could take more dealing to fully realize what they are getting out of this deal. Moving out Hoffman and Pitlick was easy and if they get additional value out of Petry and/or DeSmith, then this is a nice bit of business for Montreal.

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Most of the big names on this list are on the downside of their careers, so while it might be fine to sign them, the length of the contract and the term involved will play a big role in evaluating any deals.

With Ivan Barbashev signing a five-year, $25 million contract to stay in Vegas, there may not be too many players that are going to surpass the value of that contract.

• Buyouts and restricted free agents not getting qualifying offers helps to improve a weak free agent class.

• Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Jonathan Toews, and Zach Parise among those that could elect to retire rather than hit the open market.

• While there are few stars available, there are plenty of top-six forwards that could improve a team’s chances next season.

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Here is a look at 50 unrestricted free agent forwards (minimum 10 games in 2022-2023):

Tyler Bertuzzi, LW, Boston (8 G, 22 A, 16:29 ATOI, 52.7 CF%, 52.6 xGF%, 50 GP)

A hard-nosed 28-year-old forward who can score, Bertuzzi did manage just eight goals in 50 games last season but scored on just 7.5% of his shots, compared to a career mark of 14.1%. Bertuzzi will be a hot commodity on the free agent market.

Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston (27 G, 31 A, 17:24 ATOI, 59.8 CF%, 63.2 xGF%, 78 GP)

A living legend, Bergeron turns 38 this summer and is coming off a season in which he won his sixth Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward. If he does return, that would be huge for the Bruins. If he doesn’t, it will leave a massive hole in their lineup.

Matt Duchene, RW, Nashville (22 G, 34 A, 18:19 ATOI, 49.0 CF%, 47.5 xGF%, 71 GP)

While his production fell from his career-high 43 goals and 86 points in 2021-2022, Duchene is still a threat, and the 32-year-old should be a useful addition on a short-term deal.

Patrick Kane, RW, N.Y. Rangers (21 G, 36 A, 19:19 ATOI, 41.6 CF%, 39.5 xGF%, 73 GP)

The 34-year-old won’t be ready for the start of the season as it will take 4-6 months for him to recover from hip resurfacing surgery. The 34-year-old is still capable of scoring but has had poor defensive impacts for quite some time and his teams have been outscored with Kane on the ice during five-on-five play for three straight seasons.

Ryan O’Reilly, C, Toronto (16 G, 14 A, 17:56 ATOI, 50.1 F%, 52.0 xGF%, 53 GP)

Although he is coming off a down season, the 32-year-old had a solid finish with the Maple Leafs and figures to be in demand given the relative mediocrity of this class.

Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, N.Y. Rangers (18 G, 32 A, 16:48 ATOI, 44.6 CF%, 43.7 xGF%, 69 GP)

After erupting for 34 goals and 82 points in 2021-2022, Tarasenko fell to 18 goals and 50 points last season. The 31-year-old should still have some productive years remaining and last season’s decline in production should make his contract demands more palatable.

J.T. Compher, C, Colorado (17 G, 35 A, 20:32 ATOI, 51.0 CF%, 52.5 xGF%, 82 GP)

The 28-year-old is coming off a career season, with improved offensive production and strong defensive play while handling the most ice time of his career. That has changed Compher’s career trajectory but it’s fair to wonder if he can duplicate an outlier season.

Jason Zucker, LW, Pittsburgh (27 G, 21 A, 15:39 ATOI, 55.2 CF%, 57.1 xGF%, 78 GP)

Finally healthy last season, the 31-year-old winger scored 27 goals and 48 points, both the second highest totals of his career. If he avoids injuries, Zucker is a quality secondary scoring threat.

Alex Killorn, LW, Tampa Bay (27 G, 37 A, 17:13 ATOI, 50.1 CF%, 49.1 xGF%, 82 GP)

A core part of the Lightning’s Stanley Cup teams, the 33-year-old just scored a career-high 27 goals and 64 points, which might finally price him out of Tampa Bay.

Max Pacioretty, LW, Carolina (3 G, 0 A, 13:39 ATOI, 64.3 CF%, 69.7 xGF%, 5 GP)

The 34-year-old sniper suffered two torn Achilles tendons last season, and played just five games, but he has scored 46 goals in 92 games across the past three seasons.

David Krejci, C, Boston (16 G, 40 A, 17:12 ATOI, 47.7 CF%, 47.3 xGF%, 70 GP)

Was productive in his return to Boston after a season in Czechia, and the 37-year-old could pack it in. Like Bergeron, Krejci’s decision will make a big difference on the Bruins’ roster for next season, but neither one figures to play anywhere else in the NHL.

Michael Bunting, LW, Toronto (23 G, 26 A, 15:48 ATOI, 51.7 CF%, 55.7 xGF%, 82 GP)

An agitator who has had back-to-back 23-goal seasons, Bunting has benefitted from playing with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in Toronto, but that also shows that he can be a quality complementary player next to stars.

Connor Brown, RW, Washington (0 G, 0 A, 16:46 ATOI, 51.2 CF%, 41.4 xGF%, 4 GP)

A versatile winger who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, Brown is a 28-year-old two-time 20-goal scorer who can kill penalties.

Tomas Tatar, LW, New Jersey (20 G, 28 A, 15:07 ATOI 57.4 CF%, 62.8 xGF%, 82 GP)

A seven-time 20-goal scorer, the 32-year-old winger is a strong complement to skilled linemates.

Max Domi, LW, Dallas (20 G, 36 A, 17:46 ATOI, 44.7 CF%, 43.2 xGF%, 80 GP)

While his production has gone up and down throughout his career, 28-year-old Domi put up 20 goals and 56 points last season, the second highest totals of his career before adding 13 points in 19 playoff games for the Stars.

Blake Wheeler, RW, Winnipeg (16 G, 39 A, 17:03 ATOI,53.5 CF%, 50.3 xGF%, 72 GP)

Bought out by the Jets, Wheeler will turn 37 this summer and while he is no longer the force that he was during his prime, he is still a capable playmaker who can contribute in a supporting role.

Gustav Nyquist, LW, Minnesota (11 G, 16 A, 17:37 ATOI, 45.6 CF%, 46.5 xGF%, 51 GP)

Injuries have started to catch up with Nyquist, who turns 34 this summer, but he still has the skill to play a secondary scoring role when he is healthy.

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Evan Rodrigues, LW, Colorado (16 G, 23 A, 17:51 ATOI, 55.9 CF%, 54.1 xGF%, 69 GP)

He turns 29 this summer and the past two seasons have been the best two seasons of Rodrigues’ career. He can move around the lineup, generate shots, and has shown that he can pull the trigger on the power play.

Daniel Sprong, RW, Seattle (21 G, 24 A, 11:25 ATOI, 54.5 CF%, 56.7 xGF%, 66 GP)

An absurdly efficient fourth-line scorer, Sprong scored so much that he priced himself out of a fourth-line role with the Kraken.

Kailer Yamamoto, RW, Detroit (10 G, 15 A, 16:35 ATOI, 52.9 CF%, 52.6 xGF%, 58 GP)

Traded to Detroit the bought out by the Red Wings, the tiny 24-year-old winger has the skills to score but needs to create more chances offensively if he is going to have sustainable production.

Garnet Hathaway, RW, Boston (13 G, 9 A, 11:48 ATOI, 49.1 CF%, 50.0 xGF%, 84 GP)

A gritty fourth line forward who hits a lot and has scored 27 goals in the past two seasons, 31-year-old Hathaway will draw plenty of interest.

Conor Sheary, LW, Washington (15 G, 22 A, 15:46 ATOI, 47.6 CF%, 49.9 xGF%, 82 GP)

An undersized 31-year-old winger, Sheary has been effective in a complementary role for Washington, with 41 of his 48 goals coming at even strength.

Pierre Engvall, LW, N.Y. Islanders (17 G, 13 A, 13:38 ATOI, 54.4 CF%, 55.6 xGF%, 76 GP)

Lanky forward who can play center, too, Engvall does not use his 6-foot-5 frame to its maximum advantage, but the 27-year-old keeps the puck moving the right direction.

Alexander Kerfoot, LW, Toronto (10 G, 22 A, 14:37 ATOI, 52.4 CF%, 52.9 xGF%, 82 GP)

Turning 29 this summer, Kerfoot is a capable middle-six winger, but he has been a reluctant shooter and when he scores on a career-low 7.5% of his shots, as he did last season, the results are less than ideal.

Miles Wood, LW, New Jersey (13 G, 14 A, 12:06 ATOI, 51.3 CF%, 49.9 xGF%, 76 GP)

Speedy winger who will be 29 next season plays a tough game missed nearly all of the 2021-2022 season but recovered last season. His style of play will generate interest on the open market.

Vladislav Namestnikov, LW, Winnipeg (8 G, 17 A, 12:37 ATOI, 53.1 CF%, 55.8 xGF%, 77 GP)

The versatile forward plays an understated game and has moved around a lot, playing for seven different NHL teams in the past four seasons.

Noel Acciari, RW, Toronto (14 G, 9 A, 14:19 ATOI, 45.1 CF%, 49.3 xGF%, 77 GP)

Hard driving winger delivered 78 hits in 11 playoff games for Toronto, which will assure that the 31-year-old gets plenty of offers in free agency.

Josh Bailey, LW/RW, Chicago (8 G, 17 A, 16:04 ATOI, 48.1 CF%, 44.6 xGF%, 64 GP)

Traded by the Islanders to Chicago, where he was bought out, Bailey played 1,057 regular season games for the Isles. He will look for a fresh start in a middle six role somewhere else.

James van Riemsdyk, LW, Philadelphia (12 G, 17 A, 15:21 ATOI, 50.8 CF%, 53.3 xGF%, 61 GP)

The 34-year-old winger has seen his production dip, but he has terrific hands around the net and could fill a niche net front role.

Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago (15 G, 16 A, 17:43 ATOI, 43.9 CF%, 38.4 xGF%, 53 GP)

There appears to be doubt about whether the 35-year-old three-time Stanley Cup winner is going to continue his career. Health challenges have hit Toews hard in recent seasons and his production has dropped dramatically.

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Sam Steel, C, Minnesota (10 G, 18 A, 14:58 ATOI, 52.6 CF%, 51.9 xGF%, 65 GP)

Even though the 25-year-old had his best season after joining the Wild last year, he did not receive a qualifying offer. He is likely worth a look, to see if any of last season’s progress is going to stick.

Nick Bjugstad, C, Edmonton (17 G, 12 A, 16:12 ATOI, 47.0 CF%, 47.5 xGF%, 78 GP)

Towering center scored 17 goals last season, his most since 2017-2018. Bjugstad turns 31 this summer but his play last season should earn him a multi-year offer.

Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Carolina (5 G, 11 A, 12:14 ATOI, 55.3 CF%, 55.5 xGF%, 75 GP)

The fourth pick in the 2016 Draft, Puljujarvi may just be a bust, but he is a strong play driving winger so he should be able to find a fit in a checking role somewhere.

Morgan Geekie, C, Seattle (9 G, 19 A, 10:27 ATOI, 49.8 CF%, 50.3 xGF%, 69 GP)

A fourth-line center with shaky defensive metrics but decent offensive production in a limited role, Geekie turns 25 this summer and should be able to find a suitable spot to continue in his role.

Zach Parise, LW, N.Y. Islanders (21 G, 13 A, 16:09 ATOI, 47.2 CF%, 50.9 xGF%, 82 GP)

He may be headed for retirement, since he turns 39 this summer, but Parise did score 21 goals for the Islanders last season, so he is not completely washed.

Zemgus Girgensons, C, Buffalo (10 G, 8 A, 12:59 ATOI, 51.8 CF%, 50.4 xGF%, 80 GP)

An excellent checking forward, the 29-year-old has limited upside, but the ability to play solid fourth-line minutes should not be taken for granted, either.

Teddy Blueger, C, Vegas (4 G, 12 A, 12:55 ATOI, 47.3 CF%, 48.7 xGF%, 63 GP)

Did not see much action with the Golden Knights on the run to the Stanley Cup, but he turns 29 this summer and is a reliable fourth-line center.

Tyler Motte, LW, N.Y. Rangers (8 G, 11 A, 12:34 ATOI, 45.7 CF%, 48.3 xGF%, 62 GP)

A hard-driving winger who has a difficult time staying healthy, 28-year-old Motte plays the type of game that contenders love from their depth wingers.

Pius Suter, C, Detroit (14 G, 10 A, 14:04 ATOI, 46.2 XF%, 47.3 xGF%, 79 GP)

Swiss center fell out of favor in Detroit last season, but the 27-year-old has been a capable middle-six forward in three NHL seasons.

Ryan Donato, LW, Seattle (14 G, 13 A, 11:15 ATOI, 52.0 CF%, 51.4 xGF%, 71 GP)

The 27-year-old shoot-out specialist is also a productive fourth-line scorer, putting up 29 even-strength goals in the past two seasons.

Mattias Janmark, LW, Edmonton (10 G, 15 A, 14:40 ATOI, 48.8 CF%, 48.9 xGF%, 66 GP)

A reliable checking winger with offensive limitations, the 30-year-old should have little trouble finding a spot, but he is a low-key signing based on style of play alone.

Oskar Sundqvist, RW, Minnesota (10 G, 18 A, 13:52 ATOI, 44.9 CF%, 46.1 xGF%, 67 GP)

Good size and Stanley Cup experience with the Blues in 2019, the 29-year-old can capably fill a depth role.

Eric Staal, C, Florida (14 G, 15 A, 14:14 ATOI, 50.4 CF%, 50.7 xGF%, 72 GP)

A decent season with the Panthers could keep the 38-year-old in the mix for another year.

Jonathan Drouin, LW, Montreal (2 G, 27 A, 14:54 ATOI, 46.9 CF%, 43.9 xGF%, 58 GP)

Enigmatic and skilled playmaker who could stand to be more aggressive around the opposition’s net. Will a team bet on the 28-year-old’s talent?

Michael McLeod, C, New Jersey (4 G, 22 A, 12:15 ATOI, 50.5 CF%, 50.5 xGF%, 80 GP)

The 25-year-old is a gritty fourth-line center who can’t score. He has 10 goals on 168 shots on goal in the past two seasons but is still worth a shot in a depth role.

Max Comtois, LW, Anaheim (9 G, 10 A, 13:49 ATOI, 42.5 CF%, 39.3 xGF%, 64 GP)

A 24-year-old with good size, and decent hands, Comtois has seen his play drop off for the past two seasons and now he will need a new opportunity somewhere else to get his career back on track.

Danton Heinen, LW, Pittsburgh (8 G, 14 A, 10:45 ATOI, 51.1 CF%, 53.3 xGF%, 65 GP)

After scoring a career-high 18 goals in 2021-2022, Heinen’s production tailed off last season. He turns 28 this summer and while he has limited upside, Heinen is a useful depth option.

Phil Kessel, RW, Vegas (14 G, 22 A, 12:49 ATOI, 45.8 CF%, 47.7 xGF%, 82 GP)

The reigning iron man in the NHL, Kessel said that he intends to play next season and it will be fascinating to see if a team is going to sign the winger whose production has dropped and who will be 36 when the puck drops next season.

Ryan Reaves, RW, Minnesota (5 G, 10 A, 9:19 ATOI, 45.2 CF%, 46.6 xGF%, 73 GP)

Reaves may not be among the most valuable free agents, but he’s a compelling character and the 36-year-old will have multiple suitors because NHL teams tend to think their problems can be overcome with toughness much more easily than they can be overcome by skill.

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There may be about 15 free agent defensemen that would rank higher on the depth chart, and some of those players come with their own question marks, so this does not look like a year in which teams should spend big money on the blueline.

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• Gostisbehere, Klingberg, Dumba, Gustafsson are viable power play options

• Eight UFA defensemen averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season

• Physical veteran blueliners like Gudas and Schenn should draw plenty of interest

Here is a look at the 2023 NHL unrestricted free agent class of defensemen (minimum 10 GP in 2022-2023):

Dmitry Orlov, Boston (7 G, 29 A, 22:33 ATOI, 53.1 CF%, 53.2 xGF%, 66 GP)

A well-rounded 31-year-old defenseman who can play the body and handle puck, Orlov has averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game in five of the past six seasons. He is the steadiest option available, but his age will make for an interesting decision when it comes to the length of the contract.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Carolina (13 G, 28 A, 20:49 ATOI, 51.4 CF%, 48.9 xGF%, 75 GP)

Freewheeling puck-moving blueliner has shown that he can still run a power play and what he can do when given freedom to attack. The 30-year-old ought to be one of the most appealing options in this class.

Brian Dumoulin, Pittsburgh (1 G, 24 A, 20:38 ATOI, 51.7 CF%, 51.4 xGF%, 82 GP)

The 31-year-old went through a tough season with Pittsburgh, though it was the sixth straight year in which he averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. That dip in effectiveness will add a layer of difficulty when trying to determine the value, and term, of his next contract.

Scott Mayfield, N.Y. Islanders (6 G, 18 A, 21:02 ATOI, 49.0 CF%, 50.2 xGF%, 82 GP)

A physically imposing defender, the 30-year-old stands 6-foot-5 and can play a physical game. He averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season for the first time in his career.

Matt Dumba, Minnesota (4 G, 10 A, 21:17 ATOI, 49.1 CF%, 48.5 xGF%, 79 GP)

After being in trade rumors for years, Dumba finally finished his contract with the Wild and it looks like he will be headed elsewhere. Dumba turns 29 this summer and should have more offense to give in a new situation.

Ryan Graves, New Jersey (8 G, 18 A, 19:57 ATOI, 51.9 CF%, 53.6 xGF%, 78 GP)

The 6-foot-5 left-shot defender has found his level as a steady, stay-at-home, top-four defenseman. His age (28) should help make Graves a more appealing option in a relatively thin defense market.

Radko Gudas, Florida (2 G, 15 A, 17:22 ATOI, 55.8 CF%, 56.9 xGF%, 72 GP)

One of the most physical players in the league, Gudas hits a lot and likes to play on the edge. The 33-year-old has played more than 18 minutes per game once in the past six seasons (2021-2022, when he averaged 18:01 per game), so he is a role player of sorts, but his role is one that playoff teams love.

John Klingberg, Minnesota (10 G, 23 A, 20:37 ATOI, 43.2 CF%, 39.5 xGF%, 67 GP)

A few years ago, Klingberg was a very productive standout defenseman. He finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting in 2017-2018 and 2015-2016. His defensive decline has been precipitous, however, so he becomes a much more difficult investment as he turns 31 this summer. Klingberg has the upside to quarterback a top power play unit and play 22-24 minutes per game, but it will be shocking if he commands a big ticket as a free agent.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vancouver (2 G, 20 A, 20:11 ATOI, 47.4 CF%, 45.2 xGF%, 54 GP)

Bought out by the Canucks, Ekman-Larsson turns 32 this summer and his decline has been more gradual but is still undeniable. He has received Norris Trophy votes five times in his career, and as recently as 2018-2019, but he is not that guy anymore. He has averaged more than 20 minutes per game for 12 straight seasons and, in the right situation, at the right money, maybe he can provide a steady veteran presence.

Justin Holl, Toronto (2 G, 16 A, 20:14 ATOI, 50.1 CF%, 53.0 xGF%, 80 GP)

Despite his gaffes, the 31-year-old is still effective enough in a defensive role. He has played more than 20 minutes per game for three straight seasons and the Maple Leafs have outscored opponents in four straight seasons with Holl on the ice during five-on-five play.

Connor Clifton, Boston (5 G, 18 A, 1751 ATOI, 48.5 CF, 49.7 xGF%, 78 GP)

A 28-year-old right shot defenseman who is not afraid to get physical should have plenty of appeal in the marketplace, though it will be interesting to see if any teams view Clifton as more than a third-pair option.

Carson Soucy, Seattle (3 G, 13 A, 16:18 ATOI, 51.7 CF%, 51.4 xGF%, 78 GP)

Soucy turns 29 this summer and has established that he is a reliable third-pair defenseman. The question for the 6-foot-5 blueliner, when it comes to assessing his value, is whether there are teams willing to play him higher on the depth chart.

Ian Cole, Tampa Bay (3 G, 14 A, 19:23 ATOI, 51.6 CF%, 53.6 xGF%, 78 GP)

The 34-year-old logged 19:23 of ice time per game last season, the third-highest average time on ice of his career. He will not contribute much offensively but will lay his body on the line and his teams tend to fare better when he is on the ice.

Dmitry Kulikov, Pittsburgh (3 G, 13 A, 19:28 ATOI, 42.7 CF%, 38.9 xGF%, 67 GP)

Although the 32-year-old has moved around quite a bit in recent seasons, he had been quite effective prior to last season, when he struggled with Anaheim and then briefly with Pittsburgh.

Erik Gustafsson, Toronto (7 G, 35 A, 19:46 ATOI, 54.0 CF%, 53.0 xGF%, 70 GP)

A very productive power play quarterback, Gustafsson can put up points when given the chance. He can also end up in the press box if the coach does not trust him to take a regular turn on the blueline.

Niko Mikkola, N.Y. Rangers (1 G, 5 A, 17:26 ATOI, 43.1 CF%, 45.7 xGF%, 81 GP)

Even though Mikkola is a 27-year-old, who stands 6-foot-4, and likes to battle, his team routinely gets outshot, out-chanced, and outscored with him on the ice. That will get overlooked by some team, but expectations ought to be modest.

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Travis Hamonic, Ottawa (6 G, 15 A, 18:34 ATOI, 50.6 CF%, 49.5 xGF%, 75 GP)

Years of physical play have caught up to Hamonic, who is no longer a shutdown guy, and his ice time has been steadily decreasing. Still, in a depth role, he can be fine.

Kevin Shattenkirk, Anaheim (4 G, 23 A, 19:18 ATOI, 44.1 CF%, 42.2 xGF%, 75 GP)

A premier puck mover at his peak, Shattenkirk is 34 now, and is coming off three seasons with the Ducks. His experience, including a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2019-2020, may still hold some appeal.

Luke Schenn, Toronto (4 G, 18 A, 16:21 ATOI, 44.9 CF%, 45.3 xGF%, 70 GP)

The 33-year-old does not play much and tied a career-high with 22 points last season. His toughness and experience give him greater appeal than his on-ice results would suggest, but he will have multiple teams interested in his services.

Marc Staal, Florida (3 G, 12 A, 18:12 ATOI, 50.7 CF%, 52.2 xGF%, 82 GP)

At 36-years-old there are no secrets to Staal’s game, and he had a bit of a renaissance with the Panthers. He has good size, will use it, and can handle third pair and penalty killing roles. On a short-term, low-money deal, that works.

Erik Johnson, Colorado (0 G, 8 A, 17:15 ATOI, 48.5 CF%, 47.3 xGF%, 63 GP)

The first overall pick in the 2006 Draft, Johnson is now 35 and has played a supporting role with the Avalanche in recent seasons. His experience alone should give Johnson a chance to play somewhere else if that is what he wants.

Calvin de Haan, Carolina (2 G, 10 A, 13:32 ATOI, 60.2 CF%, 60.0 xGF%, 53 GP)

While the 32-year-old was effectively a spare part for the Hurricanes but is still reasonably effective in a depth role and might be able to handle more with a team that is not as strong as Carolina.

Troy Stecher, Calgary (3 G, 11 A, 16:22 ATOI, 45.7 CF%, 43.9 xGF%, 82 GP)

An undersized guy who battles hard and has some puck skills, Stecher has moved around quite a bit in recent seasons. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old should have an opportunity to compete for a top-six role somewhere next season.

Kyle Burroughs, Vancouver (2 G, 3 A, 17:22 ATOI, 47.5 CF%, 49.3 xGF%, 48 GP)

Still trying to get a solid footing in the league, the 27-year-old right-shot defenseman brings a physical element and has been solid enough in 95 career games to warrant a good opportunity.

Jack Johnson, Colorado (2 G, 6 A, 19:09 ATOI, 42.1 CF%, 40.7 xGF%, 83 GP)

Wildly overrated for much of his career, the 36-year-old has played more than 1,100 games and won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2021-2022. He continues to have the ice tilted against him, but he has been resilient, so Johnson still might find a team willing to give him third-pair minutes next season.

Alexander Edler, Los Angeles (2 G, 9 A, 14:46 ATOI, 50.9 CF%, 50.4 xGF%, 64 GP)

The 37-year-old saw his role reduced with the Kings last season and that might be an indication that the end is near, but he surpassed 1,000 career games and was steady enough that he could still play.

Nick Holden, Ottawa (2 G, 14 A, 16:42 ATOI, 51.9 CF%, 52.1 xGF%, 65 GP)

A late bloomer who didn’t stick in the league until he was 26, Holden is now 36 and is serviceable enough to fill a depth role.

Robert Hagg, Detroit (2 G, 5 A, 15:31 ATOI, 43.7 CF%, 47.0 xGF%, 38 GP)

A part-time player for the pats couple of seasons, Hagg’s career is at a crossroads. The 28-year-old might warrant a look as a seventh defenseman, but he is going to be in a battle against younger prospects that will be pushing for that spot, too.

Michael Stone, Calgary (6 G, 5 A, 13:19 ATOI, 57.8 CF%, 51.8 xGF%, 48 GP)

A fringe player for the past five seasons in Calgary, Stone has a booming shot from the point and was effective in his limited role last season.

Scott Harrington, Anaheim (4 G, 7 A, 16:26 ATOI, 44.0 CF%, 47.0 xGF%, 45 GP)

Filling a depth role on the blueline, the 30-year-old split last season between San Jose and Anaheim. He has carved out a 255-game NHL career, but none of it has come easily as he is always on the fringe of the lineup.

Joel Hanley, Dallas (0 G, 2 A, 11:38 ATOI, 51.9 CF%, 53.2 xGF%, 26 GP)

At 32-years-old, Hanley has found his niche as a No. 8 defenseman. He has played 151 career NHL games, 105 of them in the past three seasons with the Stars, and he has delivered solid enough results in that limited role.

Connor Mackey, Arizona (3 G, 4 A, 14:03 ATOI, 48.5 CF%, 43.9 xGF%, 30 GP)

Played okay in a 20-game sample with the Coyotes, but the 26-year-old is still trying to establish that he is a full-time NHLer. He will get a contract, but his objective will be for it to be somewhere that he has a chance to stick.

Casey Fitzgerald, Florida (0 G, 3 A, 11:55 ATOI, 49.2 CF%, 42.3 xGF%, 27 GP)

A 26-year-old right-shot defender who has been trying to earn a regular role in the NHL, Fitzgerald has played 63 games with the Sabres and Panthers over the past two seasons. He’s among those defensemen still looking for the right fit.

Noah Juulsen, Vancouver (0 G, 0 A, 14:58 ATOI, 51.4 CF%, 52.5 xGF%, 12 GP)

Injuries have hindered the 26-year-old Juulsen, who has appeared in 68 NHL games, and he was solid in a dozen games for the Canucks in 2022-2023.

Patrik Nemeth, Arizona (0 G, 5 A, 17:46 ATOI, 41.4 CF%, 40.7 xGF%, 75 GP)

A 31-year-old shot-blocking defenseman whose effectiveness has waned in the past couple of seasons, to the point that he was bought out by the Coyotes.

Parker Wotherspoon, N.Y. Islanders (0 G, 1 A, 13:20 ATOI, 52.5 CF%, 55.4 xGF%, 12 GP)

After playing the first dozen games of his NHL career last season, the 25-year-old is looking at free agency for the first time. He held his own, but it was such a small sample that Wotherspoon is still going to be in a fight for a roster spot.  

Lawrence Pilut, Buffalo (1 G, 2 A, 12:48 ATOI, 52.7 CF%, 46.1 xGF%, 17 GP)

A capable puck-moving defenseman who excels in the AHL and has played 63 NHL games. Like many, the 27-year-old will seek an opportunity that gives him a chance to see more NHL action.

Jordan Oesterle, Detroit (2 G, 9 A, 15:39 ATOI, 45.4 CF%, 45.0 xGF%, 52 GP)

Mostly a depth defender for the past few seasons, the 31-year-old is likely seeking that kind of job once again and, at his age, will be in for a tough fight against younger prospects.

Gavin Bayreuther, Columbus (2 G, 12 A, 15:57 ATOI, 45.6 CF%, 44.6 xGF%, 51 GP)

Played a career-high 51 games for the Blue Jackets last season, which is probably a reflection of the injuries in Columbus more than the emergence of a now 29-year-old Bayreuther.

Andreas Englund, Chicago (0 G, 4 A, 12:07 ATOI, 49.5 CF%, 48.4 xGF%, 47 GP)

Out of the league for a couple of years, Englund returned to action and played a career-high 47 games last season. He is a no-frills defender and may not be anything more than organizational depth for most teams.

Matt Irwin, Washington (2 G, 3 A, 13:02 ATOI, 48.0 CF%, 46.0 xGF%, 61 GP)

The 35-year-old journeyman defenseman has carved out a long career. Last season’s 61 games played was his most since 2016-2017 but is going to be in a battle to secure a regular spot.

Jordie Benn, Toronto (1 G, 1 A, 15:48 ATOI, 47.0 CF%, 49.6 xGF%, 12 GP)

Benn turns 36 this summer and spent more time in the AHL than the NHL last season. Still, he has had a very successful career with more than 600 NHL games.

Ryan Murray, Edmonton (0 G, 3 A, 13:07 ATOI, 48.2 CF%, 46.4 xGF%, 13 GP)

The career of the 29-year-old has been marked by injuries and he was limited to just 13 games for the Oilers. He’s fine when healthy, that just hasn’t been the case very often.

Nathan Beaulieu, Anaheim (0 G, 4 A, 15:14 ATOI, 39.5 CF%, 38.8 xGF%, 52 GP)

The veteran blueliner has not necessarily lived up to his draft slot (17^th overall in 2011) but has offered toughness in a depth role. The problem is that his team has been buried when he has been on the ice in the past couple of seasons.

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I covered four trades here and then five more followed:

• Pierre-Luc Dubois does not go to Montreal

• Alex Newhook does

• Ross Colton is moved to Colorado

• Tyler Toffoli lands in New Jersey

• MacKenzie Blackwood gets a fresh start in San Jose

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First up, the Kings finally made a deal to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets.

The Kings Get: C Pierre-Luc Dubois

Dubois, 25, is coming off a season in which he scored 27 goals and a career-high 63 points in 73 games. He is a 6-foot-2 center who has increased his shot rate to more than 2.80 shots per game in the past couple of seasons and it has resulted in more consistent production.

In Los Angeles, Dubois offers a complement to Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault down the middle of the ice. Kopitar will be 36 this summer, so Dubois also gives the Kings a plan when they need to reduce Kopitar’s role.

Dubois inked an eight-year, $68 million deal with the Jets before getting traded, so the Kings are locked in with Dubois for the long haul.  

The Jets Get: RW Gabe Vilardi, LW Alex Iafallo, C Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick.

Vilardi is a 23-year-old who came up as a center but found a fit as a right wing in Los Angeles. He has overcome back problems that hindered him early in his career and not only did he deliver a career-high 23 goals last season, but he had excellent defensive results, too.

In Winnipeg, Vilardi is probably a quality second line option, but that will depend on any other trades that the Jets have planned for this summer. If they move out Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, the Jets might need Vilardi in a top line role.

Vilardi is a restricted free agent who made just $825,000 last season. He will be due for a big raise and the Jets likely would prefer to get him signed to a long-term deal.

Iafallo, 29, is a winger who plays with good pace and can contribute at both ends of the rink. He had 36 points (14 G, 22 A) in 59 games for the Kings last season and can capably fill a middle six role for the Jets.

Signed for two more years, at a cap hit of $4 million per season, Iafallo is priced fairly for his contributions.

Kupari is a 23-year-old checking center who has managed just 29 points (9 G, 20 A) in 130 career games, but has become a capable defensive player in a limited role. Kupari is a restricted free agent but with limited offensive contributions it should be easy enough for the Jets to get him signed to a new deal.

The second-round pick in 2024 is well traveled. It was originally Montreal’s pick and was moved from Arizona to Los Angeles in the recently completed trade for defenseman Sean Durzi. Now, it flips to Winnipeg, and gives the Jets about a one-in-three chance of landing an NHL player.

Verdict: Under the circumstances, with Dubois a year away from unrestricted free agency and not intending to sign long-term in Winnipeg, the Jets made out pretty well. They added three NHL forwards who can all play for the club next season and in the years beyond that. The Kings paid a steep price, both in terms of assets and in the term of the contract to secure Dubois’ services, but they aren’t going to complain about it – they got the player they wanted.

The Canadiens Get: C/LW Alex Newhook

The 16^th pick in the 2019 Draft, Newhook is a 22-year-old who has shown some promise early in his career, but has not put it all together yet, either. He had 30 points (14 G, 16 A) in 82 games for the Avalanche last season but needs to generate more shots.

There were 278 forwards that played at least 750 minutes during five-on-five play last season and Newhook ranked 234^th in the group with 5.58 shots/60, the same rate as New York Islanders left winger Matt Martin.

Skills coach Darryl Belfry had a fascinating podcast in which he broke down elements of Newhook’s game before last season, trying to identify his keys for success in the NHL, and that included an assertion that while Newhook has a reliable game, he could – and should – be more aggressive offensively. Maybe that is a matter of a young player still feeling his way into the league, but that could also be the untapped potential that the Canadiens are looking to unlock.

In Montreal, Newhook gives the Canadiens some flexibility. He can play center, though he has won just 38.6% of his faceoffs through 159 career games. That must improve if he is going to remain in the middle of the ice. Otherwise, Newhook can play left wing.

Newhook is a restricted free agent coming out of his entry-level deal. Since he has not erupted offensively, it should not be difficult for Montreal to come to an agreement with him on a new contract.

The Avalanche Get: A first-round and second-round pick.

The Canadiens made a significant offer to acquire Newhook, sending the 31^st and 37^th picks in the 2023 Draft to Colorado. Players drafted in that range tend to offer about a one-in-three chance of becoming an NHL player, with less than a one-in-ten chance of becoming a top-six forward or top-four defenseman.

It is intriguing that Colorado, already facing the prospect of having six forwards hit unrestricted free agency this summer, was willing to move an established NHLer under team control for those picks. The Avs will likely be tight against the cap and determined that they would be better off not inking Newhook to his second contract.

Verdict: It seems reasonable enough, based on two seasons in the league, that Newhook can be a middle-six forward in the NHL and that is likely better than what the two draft picks will yield, but it is up for debate. If the 2023 Draft is a strong one and Colorado manages to net two NHL players with those picks, they would likely win this deal because, at least to this point, Newhook has not shown enough offensive upside to expect that he will become a star.

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The Devils Get: RW Tyler Toffoli

A 30-year-old right winger who scored a career-high 34 goals and 73 points for the Flames last season, Toffoli is an excellent two-way player who is one of the most consistent play drivers over the past decade.

Among the 251 active forwards that have played at least 500 games since 2013-2014, Toffoli ranks eighth with 55.6 CF%. (Numbers one through seven: Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk, Jordan Staal, Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault, and Sebastian Aho.)

In New Jersey, Toffoli adds reliability and a track record of success to a Devils team that is on the rise and has young centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier who could benefit from Toffoli’s experience.

Toffoli is going into the last year of a contract that has a very reasonable $4.25 million salary cap hit, with an even more agreeable $3.5 million salary for the 2023-2024 season.

The Flames Get: LW Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick.

Sharangovich, 25, is a winger with good size and some touch around the net, but he lost his spot in the Devils lineup and his production dipped last season. In 2021-2022, Sharangovich put up a career-high 24 goals and 46 points in 76 games, while playing 16:30 per game. Last season, his production was down to 13 goals and 30 points in 75 games, while playing 14:25 per game.

He is not going to drive results on his own but is a capable complementary winger and can fill a middle six role in Calgary. Sharangovich is a restricted free agent, with arbitration rights, so he is looking at a raise on the $2.2 million that he was making last season.

The third-round pick originally belonged to Calgary, so the Flames get the approximately one-in-four chance that it might yield an NHL player.

Verdict: The Flames are in a tough spot, with many established players headed towards the last year of their contracts and if those players are not inclined to stay, the Flames almost have to move them. Such is the case with Toffoli, and the Devils reap the rewards. Sharangovich and a third-round pick is something for the Flames to cling to, but it will not likely offer the same kind of value that Toffoli can provide to New Jersey next season.

The Sharks Get: MacKenzie Blackwood

Blackwood, 26, has seen his performance dip since posting a .916 save percentage in 70 games through his first two NHL seasons. In 82 games since, across three seasons, Blackwood has a .897 save percentage and he has -34.04 Goals Saved Above Expected in those three seasons, ranking 55th among the 58 goaltenders that appeared in at least 3000 minutes.

The good news for Blackwood, as he tries to resurrect his career in San Jose, is that he will be competing for playing time with Kaapo Kahkonen, who ranks 56^th with -41.38 Goals Saved Above Expected over the past three seasons.

Blackwood is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, but his case is not a strong one, so there should be little difficulty in getting him signed. What is curious is that, with so many goaltenders seemingly available this summer, Blackwood is not the most inspired choice for the Sharks to address a position of glaring weakness.

The Devils Get: A sixth-round pick.

The emergence of Akira Schmid last season made Blackwood expendable, as New Jersey has a capable tandem with Schmid and Vitek Vanecek.

That the Devils are getting anything for Blackwood has to be considered a win. A sixth-round pick is only offering about a one-in-seven chance of becoming an NHL player, but for a goaltender that is well below average in a flush market, the Devils should take it.

Verdict: It’s not a big price that the Sharks paid, and San Jose might be able to get Blackwood to recapture his form, but the Devils probably get the nod for making the sharper move here.

The Avalanche Get: C/LW Ross Colton

Colton is a 26-year-old forward who can play wing and center, plays a physical game, and can contribute offensively. He has scored 33 even-strength goals in the past two seasons, the same number as Trevor Zegras, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and Patrice Bergeron.

In Colorado, Colton should have a chance to fill the third-line center spot behind Nathan MacKinnon and recently acquired Ryan Johansen.  

Colton is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, so he will expect a raise on the $1.25 million he made last season, but the Avs are likely going to be tight against the cap, so he may not be looking at a great opportunity to cash in this summer.

The Lightning Get: A second-round pick.

While a second-round pick offers a one-in-three chance of becoming an NHL player, the Lightning are taking a hit here, losing a player that has inexpensively filled a third-line role for the past two-and-a-half seasons.

Verdict: This move is a win for the Avalanche, but it shows the tight margins under which these Stanley Cup contenders are operating. The Lightning are obviously going to try to win the Cup, and still judged that don’t have the room to keep Colton. The Avalanche are also aiming to win, relatively tight to the cap, but figure that it is worth their while to bring in Colton’s experience, which includes 19 points (10 G, 9 A) in 52 playoff games, with one Stanley Cup win, and another run to the Cup Final in his first three NHL seasons.

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Here is a look at three trades that have already happened, with the acknowledgement that there appears to be a Philadelphia Flyers-St. Louis Blues deal lurking, and possibly a Pierre-Luc Dubois trade among those on the way this week.

• Colorado brought in center Ryan Johansen

• Arizona acquired defenseman Sean Durzi

• St. Louis landed forward Kevin Hayes

First up, though, the Chicago Blackhawks secured some help for presumptive No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard, dealing for an established scoring winger.

The Blackhawks Get: LW Taylor Hall and LW/RW Nick Foligno

Hall, 31, was the first overall pick in the 2010 Draft and has enjoyed a productive career, scoring 693 points in 828 games, winning the Hart Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in 2017-2018. He has also played just 39 playoff games, during which he has produced 29 points (14 G, 15 A).

Hall’s role was reduced in Boston last season, as he averaged a career-low 15:56 of ice time per game, scoring 36 points in 61 games, a career-low 0.59 points per game. Although Hall was not as effective last season, he has consistently been a strong play driver and his team has outscored the opposition with Hall on the ice during five-on-five play in eight of the past nine seasons. That track record could get tested in Chicago next season.

In Chicago, Hall is the prime candidate to play on the top line alongside Conor Bedard, the highly touted center who is going to be the first overall pick in the 2023 Draft. Hall will not drive play in the same way, but will get more ice time, including time on the power play, so he should still have a productive campaign, even if the Blackhawks are likely to lose a lot of games.

Hall is making $6 million against the salary cap for the next two seasons, with a total salary of $12.5 million.

Foligno is a 35-year-old winger who has battled injuries in recent seasons. It’s not surprising, given that he has played a physical game for a long time, and he is probably desired more for leadership and defensive acumen than on-ice production. He did have 26 points (10 G, 16 A) in 60 games for the Bruins last season, while playing just 12:22 per game, so Foligno could reasonably expect a bigger role with a rebuilding Blackhawks squad.

Foligno has already signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Blackhawks, which is certainly a lofty price to pay for the player, but it prevents Foligno from hitting the open market.

Adding Foligno’s one-year contract to the deal means that, if he stays healthy, he could have some appeal on the trade market before the deadline next season, which could conceivably bring another mid-round pick to the Blackhawks.

The Bruins Get: D Ian Mitchell and D Alec Regula

Mitchell is a 24-year-old right shot defenseman who has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in 82 career games over the past three seasons. He has not been able to secure regular playing time and his subpar results with the rebuilding Blackhawks have justified his spot as a fringe player.

Moving to Boston could benefit Mitchell, as he played for Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery at Denver University for one season. It will depend on whether the Bruins have more moves to make on the blueline, but with Connor Clifton heading for unrestricted free agency, Mitchell could claim a spot on the right side of the third pair.

Regula, 22, has appeared in 22 NHL games across the past three seasons and while that is still a small sample, the 6-foot-4 blueliner can add some physical play when given the chance. It may be premature to pin any significant expectations on Regula, but he gives Boston another option on the back end.

Both Mitchell and Regula are restricted free agents who are trying to stick in the league, so they will not break the bank, which fits with the Bruins’ plan of trying to gain space under the salary cap.

Verdict: There is little question that the Blackhawks get the better end of this deal because the Bruins are practically giving Hall and Foligno away. Given Chicago’s dearth of quality offensive players, bringing in a player like Hall to complement Connor Bedard will help ease the transition to the league for Chicago’s new franchise player.

The Blues Get: C/RW Kevin Hayes

Hayes, 31, is a big skilled forward who totally fell out of favor with Flyers head coach John Tortorella last season. He ranked second on the team with 54 points (18 G, 36 A) in 81 games and the puck typically moves in the right direction when he is on the ice, at least relative to his teammates.

In St. Louis, Hayes should fill a complementary role and with the Flyers retaining half of his salary, a cap hit of more than $3.5 million, his price fits for a player that can provide secondary scoring.

Hayes’ contract runs for three more seasons, which should be manageable for St. Louis.

The Flyers Get: A sixth-round pick.

Philadelphia obviously wanted to unload Hayes, because eating half of his cap hit for the next three seasons, just to receive a sixth-round pick, is practically giving him away.

The Flyers are in a rebuilding mode and Hayes’ departure will open the door for others, but Philadelphia’s roster is so thin at this point, that they did not need to move Hayes to create playing time for other players.

Verdict: Hayes might be considered a distressed asset, but St. Louis is getting him at an extremely discounted price. That’s a win. Philadelphia might be able to do something with more cap space, but that will be a future move to be evaluated at that time.

The Coyotes Get: D Sean Durzi

Durzi, 24, has been a productive point producer from the blueline, tallying 65 points (12 G, 53 A) in 136 career games, with 31 of those points coming on the power play.

In Arizona, Durzi should step into the role of first unit power play quarterback, bumping Juuso Valimaki from that spot, and that should allow Durzi to keep producing points.

Durzi’s defensive game is still a work in progress. If he can improve his play without the puck, then he could become a quality two-way defenseman. If it stays as is, then he will put up points and give up chances in his own end. Under the circumstances, this is a reasonable risk for the Coyotes to take.

The Kings Get: A second-round pick.

The second-round pick that the Kings receive is a 2024 pick that originated with the Montreal Canadiens. The likelihood is that the pick will be in the first half of the second round and that tends to bring a one-in-three chance of yielding an NHL player.

Moving Durzi also clears a path for 2021 first-round pick Brandt Clarke, a right-shot defenseman, to step into the Kings lineup next season.

Verdict: Both teams are probably getting what they want from this deal, but the Coyotes are taking a smart risk here. If they can develop Durzi’s game away from the puck, even a little, then he can become more than a one-dimensional power play threat. For the price of a second-round pick, especially from a Coyotes team that is overloaded with picks, it makes sense.

The Avalanche Get: C Ryan Johansen

Johansen, 30, is coming off a down season during which he managed 28 points (12 G, 16 A) in 55 games. He is a reluctant shooter, which puts a limit on his offensive upside, but he has soft hands and good size, so is not without appeal. He also won a career-best 59.2% of his faceoffs last season, so that is a niche that the right-shot center can fill as well.

In Colorado, Johansen is a fair option as a second-line center but what makes this trade work for Colorado is that Nashville is retaining half of Johansen’s salary, so he costs the Avalanche $4 million against the cap, a much more reasonable price than the $8 million cap hit he had with the Predators.

With two seasons left on his contract, Johansen is a better fit for Colorado than trying to find a second line center via free agency, where they would likely have to commit to more than two years.

The Predators Get: LW Alex Galchenyuk

Galchenyuk is a 29-year-old who is heading for unrestricted free agency. He did not record a point in 11 games for the Avalanche last season and has bounced around to six teams in the past four seasons. He is only included so that the deal does not look like the Predators giving away a player, which is exactly what they are doing.

Nashville has hopes for its younger centers, including Tommy Novak, Juuso Parssinen, and Cody Glass, so moving Johansen creates more room for those players to play prominent roles.

Verdict: While the Preds are happy to get out from under half of the $8 million salary cap hit owed to Johansen and might have been prepared to buy him out otherwise, this is a worthwhile play for the Avalanche. It’s not a home run but a sensible play and sometimes that’s enough.

This summer, there is likely going to be some movement in the goalie market. In addition to free agents, there are several notable goaltenders rumored to be available in trade including Connor Hellebuyck, John Gibson, Carter Hart, Daniel Vladar, Karel Vejmelka, and likely one of the goalies in Buffalo.

In addition to the trade options, there might be a handful of potential starting goaltenders available on the free agent market this summer, though each of them comes with some degree of risk.

But how could it be any other way? Risk is the name of the game at this position and look no further than the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs for evidence. The goaltenders with the top Saves Above Expected in the playoffs were Sergei Bobrovsky (+15.91), Adin Hill (+14.78), Igor Shesterkin (+9.40), Frederik Andersen (+7.61), and Akira Schmid (+4.40).

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Shesterkin and Andersen have relatively strong recent track records. Bobrovsky has been below average in three of the past four seasons and did not start the playoffs as the Panthers’ No. 1 goaltender. Hill has performed well enough in small samples but played a career high 27 NHL games for Vegas this season. Schmid played much of the season in the American Hockey League, though he excelled once called up to New Jersey. All of this is to say that it is difficult to predict which goaltender is going to show up and make the difference in the quest for the Stanley Cup.

Here is a look at the 2023 class of unrestricted free agent goaltenders (minimum 10 GP in 2022-2023; data in table from past three seasons):

Free Agent NHL Goaltenders

Semyon Varlamov, N.Y. Islanders (11-9-2, .913 SV%, +5.85 GSAx, 23 GP)

Consistently above average though the 35-year-old has seen a reduced workload in the past two seasons as Ilya Sorokin has taken hold of the No. 1 job for the Islanders. Varlamov may be content with being an overqualified backup at this stage of his career but is probably capable of handling a role in a goaltending tandem that has a more even split of responsibility.

Frederik Andersen, Carolina (21-11-1, .903 SV%, -0.92 GSAx, 34 GP)

The veteran goaltender has had a harder time staying healthy in recent seasons, but he also finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2021-2022. The 33-year-old’s strong playoff performance could go a long way to establishing his value in the marketplace.

Anthony Stolarz, Anaheim (5-6, .897 SV%, +0.85 GSAx, 19 GP)

The huge netminder has played more than 20 games in a season just once in his career, but the 29-year-old has trended towards better than average performance when healthy. He is a worthy consideration in a backup role but not easy to trust because of durability issues.

Alex Lyon, Florida (9-4-2, .912 SV%, +8.62 GSAx, 15 GP)

A career minor leaguer, the 30-year-old Lyon saved the Panthers’ season with strong play down the stretch to get the team into the postseason. Will that small sample be enough to secure a backup job in the NHL for next season?

Antti Raanta, Carolina (19-3-3, .910 SV%, +2.88 GSAx, 27 GP)

Although durability has never been Raanta’s strong suit – he has played more than 30 games in a season just once in his career – he has typically performed at an above average level when he has been in the lineup. The 34-year-old is not a realistic option as a starter but is a quality backup.

Laurent Brossoit, Vegas (7-0-3, .927 SV%, +5.25 GSAx, 11 GP)

After spending most of the season in the AHL following off-season hip surgery, Brossoit had been thrust into the starter’s role for the Golden Knights in the playoffs before getting injured. He has never played more than 24 games in an NHL season, but his strong play during the regular season and into the playoffs should give the 30- year-old more appeal than he ever had before.

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Adin Hill, Vegas (16-7-1, .915 SV%, +4.02 GSAx, 27 GP)

Even though he played in a career-high 27 games in 2022-2023, Hill has yet to establish that he can handle a more significant workload in the NHL. He performed at an above-average level during the regular season and was excellent in the playoffs leading Vegas to the Stanley Cup, so it is possible that the 27-year-old still has a chance to be a starter, and maybe it will even happen in Vegas.

Magnus Hellberg, Detroit (5-8-1, .888 SV%, -5.28 GSAx, 18 GP)

After playing a total of five NHL games in his career prior to last season, the 32-year-old netminder appeared in a career-high 18 games in 2022-2023. Hellberg did not show enough to presume that he will have an NHL job next season.

Jaroslav Halak, N.Y. Rangers (10-9-5, .903 SV%, +2.44 GSAx, 25 GP)

While the 38-year-old has seen his performance dip in the past three seasons, relative to his consistently strong results before that, Halak is still a competent backup in a limited role.

Alex Stalock, Chicago (9-15-2, .908 SV%, -3.85 GSAx, 27 GP)

Health issues had limited Stalock to just one game in the previous two seasons before the 35-year-old delivered a solid enough performance in a backup role for the Blackhawks. He probably will need to move on from Chicago but may have earned another contract with his 2022-2023 results.

Collin Delia, Vancouver (10-6-2, .882 SV%, -4.89 GSAx, 20 GP)

Pressed into action when Thatcher Demko was injured and then Spencer Martin struggled, Delia ended up playing in a career-high 20 games. The 29-year-old might be best suited as a No. 3 for an organization.

Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh (24-13-7, .909 SV%, -5.11 GSAx, 47 GP)

Injuries hindered the 28-year-old netminder in 2022-2023 and his performance was inconsistent even when he was healthy. Though his advanced stats have not been great, Jarry is a viable starting goaltender and that will have appeal in the marketplace, but he would have been more likely to cash in following the 2021-2022 campaign, which was the best of his career.

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Erik Kallgren, Toronto (7-10-0, .896 SV%, -8.25 GSAx, 21 GP)

While Kallgren has appeared in 24 games for the Maple Leafs over the past two seasons, the 26-year-old has managed a .892 save percentage, so he’s not exactly forcing his way into a regular NHL role.

Michael Hutchinson, Columbus (2-6-3, .875 SV%, -8.88 GSAx, 16 GP)

Nomad goaltender appeared in 16 games for the Blue Jackets after he was acquired from Vegas in exchange for Jonathan Quick. The last time he appeared in more NHL games was in 2016-2017, but that does not set him up for an NHL gig next season.

Alex Nedeljkovic, Detroit (5-7-2, .895 SV%, -7.59 GSAx, 15 GP)

A Calder Trophy finalist in 2020-2021, Nedeljkovic has struggled since landing in Detroit and was demoted to the AHL last season. He is still just 27, so there might be a team willing to take a chance on resurrecting his career, but his recent performance means that Nedeljkovic comes with a lot more risk.

Jonathan Quick, Vegas (16-15-6, .882 SV%, -21.89 GSAx, 41 GP)

A two-time Stanley Cup winner, Quick is 37 years old and while he was a little better in 10 appearances for the Golden Knights down the stretch, 2022-2023 was still one of the worst seasons of his career.

James Reimer, San Jose (12-21-8, .890 SV%, -15.01 GSAx, 43 GP)

The 35-year-old veteran was probably asked to handle more than he should have at this stage of his career and the results were less than ideal. He has typically been around league average, though, so he could be a bona fide backup with expectations of a reduced workload compared to his past two seasons.

David Rittich, Winnipeg (9-8-1, .901 SV%, -4.21 GSAx, 21 GP)

The veteran has moved into a backup role, appearing in 57 games over the past three seasons. His performance has been a little below average, so the 30-year-old is not a big draw, but still an option for a team that needs an inexpensive backup.

Cam Talbot, Ottawa (17-14-2, .898 SV%, -2.21 GSAx, 36 GP)

The Senators traded for Talbot, with the idea that he would give the team a steady No. 1 option between the pipes and that did not materialize. He will turn 36 this summer and may be an option for a goaltending tandem but it would be hard for a team to pin starter’s expectations upon him.

Joonas Korpisalo, Los Angeles (18-14-4, .914 SV%, +10.26 GSAx, 39 GP)

After years spent as a mostly below average backup goaltender, Korpisalo was at his best in 2022-2023. The challenge for any team considering signing the 29-year-old is figuring out if his new level of play is sustainable and just how much they are willing to bet that is the case.

Brian Elliott, Tampa Bay (12-8-2, .891 SV%, -7.60 GSAx, 22 GP)

Not a great year for the 38-year-old who has extended his career with a couple of seasons backing up Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa Bay. At a discount price, Elliott might still be a viable backup consideration for a team with a premier starter, but it is more likely to be the end of the line.

Thomas Greiss, St. Louis (7-10-0, .896 SV%, -8.25 GSAx, 21 GP)

The past couple of seasons have been rough for Greiss and, at this stage of his career, it could be a challenge for the 37-year-old to secure an NHL contract for next season.

Martin Jones, Seattle (27-13-3, .886 SV%, -15.74 GSAx, 48 GP)

The 33-year-old goalie earned more starts than expected, posting a 20-5-3 record in his first 30 appearances for the Kraken. The problem was that his pedestrian .898 save percentage was still better than he managed the rest of the way, finishing with a .862 save percentage in his last 18 appearances of the season. Jones could still find work in a backup role, but there should be no illusions about him matching his 2022-2023 playing time.

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Free Agent Status via CapFriendly

Across the past three seasons, in all situations on a per 60 minutes basis, the Blue Jackets rank 32^nd in shot attempts against, 31^st in shots against, 29^th in expected goals against, and 32^nd in goals against. Improving on those results does not require some extra special effort, but if the Blue Jackets are going to harbor hopes of reaching the playoffs next season, then they need major defensive upgrades.

With Zach Werenski limited to 13 games after requiring season-ending shoulder surgery, the leaders in ice time on the Columbus blue line last season were Andrew Peeke, Erik Gudbranson, Vladislav Gavrikov (traded to Los Angeles at the trade deadline), Tim Berni, Adam Boqvist, Gavin Bayreuther, Nick Blankenburg, Marcus Bjork, and Jake Christiansen. I didn’t make up any of those names, as far as you know.

Columbus is improving its personnel on defense with the expectation that Mike Babcock is going to be named head coach once his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires on June 30. Babcock loves to have a team that grinds defensively, and last season’s Blue Jackets were a long way from being able to handle those defensive demands.

• Severson should have a more positive impact for Columbus than Provorov but comes at a much greater cost.

• Flyers embrace the rebuilding process.

• Kings and Devils get rewarded for being proactive.

Here is a look at the two trades that ended up bringing Severson and Provorov to Columbus.

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The Blue Jackets Get: D Damon Severson

Severson turns 29 this summer and is a quality right-shot defenseman who was on his way to unrestricted free agency when the Blue Jackets made a deal with Devils.

Over the past three seasons, the Devils had 55.3 xGF% with Severson on the ice during five-on-five play, the best mark among New Jersey defensemen. That rate ranked 12^th among the 200 defensemen league-wide that played at least 1500 minutes. Micah’s work at Hockeyviz paints Severson in a very positive light.

Before playing 19:57 per game for the Devils last season, Severson had played more than 22 minutes per game for four consecutive seasons. He is likely to see that kind of workload in Columbus.

Severson will certainly be an upgrade for the Blue Jackets, the best right-shot defenseman on the roster, and in the short term, that should only be positive. Since he is signed to an eight-year, $50 million contract, there are long-term considerations, too, because he will be 36 by the time this contract expires.

The Devils Get: A third-round pick.

Getting anything for a player that is likely leaving via unrestricted free agency is a win. Pulling Calgary’s third-round pick from Columbus gives the Devils a one-in-four chance of getting an NHL player.

The Devils have top prospect Simon Nemec waiting in the wings for a spot on the right side of their defense next year, so that should fill the hole created by Severson’s departure at a much easier cost on the salary cap.

Verdict: Both teams get what they want out of this deal, but the Blue Jackets are the team taking on more risk, so an edge goes to the Devils. New Jersey was the only team that could sign Severson to an eight-year deal and while it is fair to wonder if it makes sense to sign him for eight years, Columbus knows that they would not prevent Severson from hitting unrestricted free agency if the offer was for five or six years.

The Blue Jackets Get: D Ivan Provorov

Provorov, 26, has eaten big minutes in his seven NHL seasons, logging 12,810 minutes, which ranks fourth among all skaters in that time, behind Brent Burns, Ryan Suter, and Drew Doughty. Accumulating minutes in and of itself is not enough to assign value to a player, so the question is whether Provorov is going to have a positive impact on the Blue Jackets. For all of the minutes that Provorov has played in Philadelphia, the past two seasons have seen the Flyers outshot and out chanced with Provorov on the ice.

Philadelphia was outscored 148-113 in the past two seasons when Provorov was on the ice during five-on-five play. There were 212 defensemen who played more than 1000 five-on-five minutes in the past two seasons and Provorov ranked 201^st in that group with a goal differential of -35. He ranked 196^th with an expected goals differential of -20.31.

Provorov scored a career-high 17 goals and 41 points in his second season, 2017-2018, but has not approached those totals since. His lack of offensive production does put a limit on his overall appeal, especially when his recent play does not suggest an overwhelmingly positive impact on the defensive end either.

Signed for two more years, at a cap hit of $4.725 million, Provorov is not outrageously priced if he can play a legit top-four role on the blueline for Columbus, though his actual salary is $17.125 million over the next two seasons, so in straight cash terms, he is relatively expensive. On a remodeled Columbus blueline, Provorov is going to have ample opportunity to play.

The Flyers Get: G Cal Petersen, D Sean Walker, D Helge Grans, a 2023 first-round pick from the Blue Jackets (originally the Kings), a 2024 second-round pick from the Kings, and a conditional second-round pick from Columbus in 2024 or 2025.

Petersen is a 28-year-old netminder who showed some promise early in his career but has struggled in the past couple of seasons, posting a .890 save percentage in 47 games since the start of the 2021-2022 season. He was demoted to the American Hockey League last season and finished with a .904 save percentage in 40 games for the Ontario Reign.

Petersen had allowed 20.89 goals above expected in the past two seasons, an indication that he could use a fresh start if he is going to get a chance to resurrect his career.

In Philadelphia, they already have Carter Hart, Felix Soderstrom, and Samuel Ersson competing for goaltending jobs, so Petersen is not even a lock for an NHL spot, but he comes with a $5 million cap hit for the next two seasons, so he will probably get a fair chance to at least start in the NHL.

Walker, 28, is a right-shot defenseman who returned to action last season after missing nearly all of the 2021-2022 season with a torn ACL.

Walker recorded a career high 24 points (5 G, 19 A) in 70 games in 2019-2020. That season, he averaged a career-high 18:50 time on ice per game for the Kings. Last season, Walker contributed 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in 70 games, while playing just 14:50 per game.

In Philadelphia, there will be an opportunity for Walker to earn a bigger role. He is not huge, but he will battle, and he comes with an expiring contract that has a $2.65 million cap hit, which could very well get traded again before the deadline if he has a quality season.

Grans, 21, is a right-shot defenseman who has played two AHL seasons since he was a second-round pick of the Kings in 2020. For a rebuilding Flyers team, he is worth developing for the next couple of years, in the hopes that he becomes a bona fide NHLer.

The picks are the prize of this trade for the Flyers. The 22^nd pick in the draft offers a better than even chance of yielding an NHL player and a one-in-five chance of turning into a top-six forward or top-four defenseman. The Flyers also acquired two second-round picks and each of those picks typically brings a one-in-three chance of returning an NHL player.

The Kings Get: D Kevin Connauton and RW Hayden Hodgson

Connauton is a 33-year-old who has logged 360 games in the NHL, though he did not play any last season. He makes a hefty $450,000 in the AHL, so the Flyers were looking to unload that cost and the Kings were willing to take on Connauton’s AHL cost for more flexibility on their NHL salary cap. He has proven to be competent organizational depth, so if the Kings run into injuries, Connauton could get plugged into the lineup as a short-term solution.

Hodgson, 27, has played seven NHL games in his career, but is on a one-way contract in 2023-2024 that will pay him $800,000 whether he is in the NHL or the AHL. That contract can be buried in the minors without affecting the salary cap so, like Connauton, Hodgson’s contract is a price that the Kings are willing to pay in order to get more NHL cap flexibility.

The Kings already utilized some of that cap flexibility by signing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a two-year contract with a $5.875 million cap hit.

Verdict: The Blue Jackets likely got the best player in Provorov, but it is hard not to like this three way deal for the Flyers. Having Provorov on the roster is not likely to make the difference between the Flyers being a playoff team or a lottery team, so maximizing their potential future value is a sensible play. The Kings were not taking as big a swing as the Flyers or Blue Jackets, but it turned out to be a tidy piece of business for them that helps them make moves for this offseason.

HART TROPHY

1. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton

Let’s start with an easy one. McDavid became the first player to surpass the 150-point plateau since Mario Lemieux produced 161 points in 1995-1996. Critics might point to McDavid’s 71 power play points (also the most since Lemieux in 1995-1996) but he was the driving force behind an insanely productive power play and that should not be held against him. This was such a dominant season that voting for McDavid’s third Hart Trophy should be unanimous.

2. Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Florida 

If there was any idea that Tkachuk’s outstanding 2021-2022 season was a product of his linemates in Calgary, that was dispelled by his spectacular first season in Florida. He scored 40 goals, 109 points, and had ridiculously dominant shot and goal differentials that helped lift the Panthers into the playoffs.

3. Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas

The Stars power forward has been on a steady ascent early in his career and there was a time early in the season that it looked like he could contend for the award, scoring 21 goals in an 18-game span, and while that was obviously not a sustainable level of production, he still finished the season with 46 goals and 109 points. The Stars outscored opponents 90-51 (63.8 GF%) at even strength with Robertson on the ice.

4. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado

Even though he missed 11 games, MacKinnon still finished with 42 goals and 111 points, both of which were career highs. He scored 29 goals and 57 points, with 174 shots on goal, in 34 games after the All-Star break, lifting the Avalanche to the Central Division crown.

5. David Pastrnak, RW, Boston

The 26-year-old sniper is a premier goal scorer who was turned loose by the Bruins, scoring a career high 61 goals, including 43 at even strength, while leading the NHL with 407 shots on goal. While the Bruins have a solid team throughout, Pastrnak’s ability as a game-breaking offensive talent played a big part in their record-setting season.

6. Erik Karlsson, D, San Jose

7. Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton

8. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto

9. Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver

10. Tage Thompson, C, Buffalo

NORRIS TROPHY

1. Erik Karlsson, San Jose

For all his defensive shortcomings, Karlsson just had a 101-point season for a Sharks team that offered little help. It was the highest point total by a defenseman since Brian Leetch had 102 points in 1991-1992. He looked like vintage Karlsson a lot of the time, skating better than he has in years, and driving play for a team that was not positioned to support him. It was good enough to land his third Norris Trophy and first since 2014-2015.

2. Adam Fox, N.Y. Rangers

The winner of the 2020-2021 Norris Trophy had an outstanding season for the Rangers, producing 72 points with dominant possession numbers. He has quickly established his credentials as a premier two-way defenseman and figures to be in the running for many Norris Trophies, but it will be hard to overtake Karlsson this season.

3. Cale Makar, Colorado

While there are some wonderful defensemen in the NHL, Makar is likely the best of them. However, injuries limited him to 60 games and even though Makar put up 66 points with dominant two-way play, missing a quarter of the season is too much for him to warrant taking the award as the league’s top defenseman.

4. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas

As expected, the departure of John Klingberg freed up Heiskanen for bigger offensive production and he had a career high 73 points, playing a career-high 25:29 per game. He continued to drive play and handle the toughest assignments, and the 23-year-old could be in the Norris Trophy mix for years to come.

5. Vince Dunn, Seattle

It might have taken a season longer than expected, but Dunn emerged as a top-tier defenseman in his second season with the Kraken. He contributed 64 points while delivering strong possession numbers. Dunn logged 23:40 of ice time per game, easily the high-water mark for his career.

6. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver

7. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo

8. Brent Burns, Carolina

9. Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg

10. Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey

VEZINA TROPHY

1. Linus Ullmark, Boston

There are advanced stats that might suggest that Ullmark is merely the third best goaltender this season, but a goalie who leads the league in wins, goals against average, and save percentage is overwhelmingly likely to capture the Vezina.

2. Ilya Sorokin, N.Y. Islanders

The fancy stats might prefer Sorokin, who led the league with 45.69 Goals Saved Above Expected. He had a .924 save percentage in a career high 62 games, which is strong enough to be a Vezina contender, but it’s still hard to finish ahead of Ullmark.

3. Juuse Saros, Nashville

Even when the Predators decide to turn their focus to the future, Saros just would not let them fade away quietly. He had a .919 save percentage in 64 games, leading the league in saves and his 36.04 Goals Saved Above Expected ranked third, behind Sorokin and Ullmark.

4. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg

Consistently one of the top goaltenders in the league, Hellebuyck turned in a .920 save percentage in 64 games for the Jets. It was the first time since the 2017-2018 season that he did not face the most shots in the league, but it was still another excellent campaign.

5. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota

Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in a trade for Cam Talbot, Gustavsson had an outstanding season for the Wild and earned a bigger role as a result. He appeared in 39 games, which is still well behind other top starters, but Gustavsson opened eyes with a .931 save percentage.

6. Alexandar Georgiev, Colorado

7. Jake Oettinger, Dallas

8. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay

9. Igor Shesterkin, N.Y. Rangers

10. Joonas Korpisalo, Los Angeles

SELKE TROPHY

1. Jordan Staal, C, Carolina

Veteran center was a finalist in 2009-2010 but has been getting votes almost every year. He ranked first in rate of shot attempts and actual shots allowed plus third in expected goals allowed among forwards that played at least 750 five-on-five minutes.

2. Radek Faksa, C, Dallas

This was the best season for the Stars’ checking center, fulfilling his promise as a shutdown center who started more shifts in the defensive zone and still thrived in a defensive role. Faksa ranked fourth in rate of expected goals against and had outstanding isolated defensive impacts.

3. Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston

It would be entirely reasonable to give Bergeron his sixth Selke because he puts up exceptional defensive results while tasked with centering Boston’s top offensive line. Some of the checking forwards contending for this award are not making major contributions at the offensive end and while Bergeron is not as productive as he was at his peak, he still scored 27 goals in addition to ranking fifth in expected goals against per 60.

4. Noah Cates, C, Philadelpiha

The rookie center excelled in a checking role even though he won just 39.5% of his faceoffs. Cates was a defensive force on a team that did not offer much support in that regard.

5. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina

Another Carolina center who controls play, Kotkaniemi ranked third in rate of shot attempts and actual shots against during five-on-five play, and first in rate of expected goals against. It is about time that the 22-year-old starts getting credit for his strong defensive performance.

6. Brandon Tanev, LW, Seattle

7. Tyler Toffoli, RW, Calgary

8. Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto

9. Derek Ryan, C, Edmonton

10. Zemgus Girgensons, C, Buffalo

CALDER TROPHY

1. Matty Beniers, C, Seattle

The leading rookie scorer with 24 goals and 57 points, Beniers also logged more than 17 minutes per game, so he was given more responsibility than other rookie forwards. While Beniers is the betting favorite, there are other deserving candidates who just did not have the counting stats.  

2. Jake Sanderson, D, Ottawa

The Senators blueliner contributed 32 points while providing positive defensive impacts in nearly 22 minutes per game. There is a legit argument for Sanderson, especially considering that he effectively handled a bigger role in the second half of the season.

3. Owen Power, D, Buffalo

Similarly, Power had 35 points and had more significant offensive impacts, with more suspect defensive impacts, for the freewheeling Sabres.

4. Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton

Eventually took over the starting role in net for the Oilers after Jack Campbell struggled in that spot. Skinner had a .913 save percentage and 29 wins in 50 games, making him an above average starting goaltender, which certainly brings plenty of value.

5. Matias Maccelli, RW, Arizona

Although he missed 18 games, the Coyotes winger still finished second in rookie scoring with 49 points and Maccelli was quite effective defensively, too. That’s good enough to get on the ballot.

6. Noah Cates, C, Philadelphia

7. Johnathan Kovacevic, D, Montreal

8. Jack Quinn, RW, Buffalo

9. Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim

10. Wyatt Johnston, C, Dallas

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LADY BYNG

1. Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey

2. Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida

3. Joe Pavelski, RW, Dallas

4. Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina

5. Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles

JACK ADAMS

1. Jim Montgomery, Boston

2. Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina

3. Jared Bednar, Colorado

4. Bruce Cassidy, Vegas

5. Lindy Ruff, New Jersey

*I am an accredited PHWA member, but the only award that I had an official vote for this season was the Masterton Trophy.

The Vancouver Canucks traded their captain to the New York Islanders, of all teams.

The Islanders Get: C Bo Horvat

Horvat, 27, is having the best season of his career, already tying his career high of 31 goals, which was set last season.

He is generating a career high 2.92 shots on goal per game, while scoring on a career high 21.7% of his shots. Part of that is due to his role in the bumper spot of the Vancouver power play. Horvat has scored 24 power play goals in 119 games over the past two seasons, which has him tied for 10^th.

While the puck tends to move in the right direction with Horvat on the ice, his defensive impact tends to vary from year to year. His offensive performance, which includes six 20-goal seasons and five seasons with at least 50 points, is his more reliable calling card.

Horvat is also an ace on faceoffs, winning 56.6% of his draws since the start of last season.

All of this suggests that the Islanders are clearly upgrading their roster for this season, but to what end? The Islanders are two points behind the Penguins and one point behind the Sabres, but both teams have played three fewer games.

Washington is three points ahead of the Islanders in the same 52 games. Can the Horvat acquisition push the Isles into the playoffs? It’s possible, but they are fighting uphill.

The Islanders already have Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau And Casey Cizikas at center, but Horvat’s presence could shift Barzal to right wing, giving him more freedom to create offensively, while giving Horvat a prime playmaker to set him up.

Horvat’s cap hit for this season is $5.5 million, but the Canucks are retaining 25 percent on the deal. More importantly, he is set to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Presumably the Islanders intend to sign Horvat to a new deal, but that will not come cheaply.

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The Canucks Get: LW Anthony Beauvillier, C Aatu Raty, and a protected first-round pick.

Beauvillier is a 25-year-old who scored 21 goals in 2017-2018 and has not been able to duplicate that total since. He is still seeking his first 40-point season but is a capable middle six winger who is skilled enough to complement quality offensive players.

That could come in handy in Vancouver, where the Canucks are likely to make more moves and it should offer Beauvillier an opportunity to re-establish some of his value around the league.

That should be the objective for the Canucks, because Beauvillier is probably not the right age to have a long-term impact on a rebuilding team. He has one more year left on his deal with a $4.15 million cap hit, which makes him a prime candidate to get traded next season, unless he somehow reaches heights with the Canucks that never materialized in seven seasons with the Islanders.

Raty was a second-round pick in the 2021 Draft after managing six points in 31 games for Karpat in Finland’s Liiga. He bounced back the next season, though, with 41 points (13 G, 28 A) in 47 games, re-establishing his value as a prospect.

This is his first season in North America and the 20-year-old has 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in 27 AHL games to go with a couple of goals in 12 games when the Islanders called him up to the NHL. He is probably not NHL ready just yet but there is a reasonable chance that he becomes a full-fledged NHL player within the next couple of seasons.

The real prize of the deal for the Canucks is the first-round pick. It is Top 12 protected in 2023, but if the pick slides to 2024, then there is no protection and, if the Islanders fade in 2023-2024, their 2024 first-round pick could have serious value. But even if that scenario does not play out, and the Canucks end up with a Top 15 pick, that could very well yield a quality piece for their rebuild. Based on current points percentage, the Islanders would get the 13^th pick, so if they improve at all, then Vancouver will get the pick in 2023.

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Verdict

The Islanders’ acquisition of Horvat for this season is fine. Perhaps that price seems a tad expensive for a rental, especially for a team that is still on the outside looking in at the postseason, but for a center who has 31 goals in 49 games, it’s not unreasonable.

The bigger issue is going to be a contract extension for Horvat, when the value is almost assuredly going to be propped up by his career-high shooting percentage of 21.7%. Will Horvat still be worth $8 million per season if he is scoring on 14% of his shots, which is more in line with his career average?

As for the Canucks, they painted themselves into a corner with so many ill-advised acquisitions and contract extensions that they suddenly did not have the flexibility to keep their captain even though he is having the best season of his career.

Now that the Canucks have made the difficult decision to move Horvat, they will need to make more moves to re-shape the roster. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are probably safe, but just about anyone else could be fair game.

While there are no guarantees that the pieces coming from the Islanders will help turn things around in Vancouver, if Raty and the first-round pick pan out, that will at least give the Canucks some hope moving forward.

It didn’t have to be this way but, under the circumstances, this was a necessary move for the Canucks.

Nevertheless, it’s a fun exercise to evaluate players and set a baseline for expectations at the start of a new season, so here is this season’s Top 10 NHL Players.

1. Connor McDavid

·         Four-time Art Ross Trophy winner; finalist for the Hart Trophy in four of the past six seasons, winning twice; led NHL in expected goals in 2021-2022.

2. Auston Matthews

·         Reigning Hart Trophy winner; led the NHL in goals in back-to-back seasons, burying 101 goals in 125 games; ranked second in expected goals last season, first in expected goals per game.

3. Cale Makar

·         Won the Norris Trophy as league’s top defenseman and Conn Smythe as Playoff MVP last season; has 180 points in 178 career games and Avs have outscored opponents by 79 goals at 5v5 with Makar on the ice.

4. Nathan MacKinnon

·         Hart Trophy finalist in three of the past five seasons; leads NHL with 4.50 shots on goal per game across the past four seasons; 1.31 points per game in the past five seasons.

5. Igor Shesterkin

·         Won the Vezina Trophy as best goaltender in 2021-2022, posting a .935 save percentage, with 44.8 goals saved above average and 39.9 goals saved above expected, both best in the league by a significant margin.

6. Kirill Kaprizov

·         Scored 47 goals and 108 points last season, his second year in the league; has strong play driving numbers, with Wild outscoring, out-chancing, and out shooting the opposition with him on the ice.

7. Victor Hedman

·         Norris Trophy finalist for six straight seasons, winning in 2017-2018; won the Conn Smythe as Playoff MVP in 2019-2020; recorded a career-high 20 goals and 85 points last season; Lightning have outscored opposition by 87 goals during 5v5 play in the past five seasons with Hedman on the ice.

8. Leon Draisaitl

·         Ranks second in the NHL with 409 points across the past four seasons; his incredible offensive output does get offset to some degree by defensive inconsistency, but he is still a great player.

9. Sidney Crosby

·         Even at 35-years-old, Crosby remains a top-end No. 1 center; he has not won a Hart Trophy since 2013-2014 but has finished Top 5 in voting three times since.

10. Roman Josi

·         Top 7 in Norris Trophy voting in six of the past eight seasons, winning in 2019-2020 and runner-up in 2021-2022, when he scored a career-high 23 goals and 96 points; has averaged 3.35 shots on goal per game in the past six seasons to lead all defensemen.

11. Nikita Kucherov

·         Hart Trophy winner in 2018-2019, when he led the league with 128 points; missed the entire 2020-2021 season, only to lead the postseason with 32 points in 23 games on the way to a second Lightning Stanley Cup.

12. Alexander Barkov

·         Earned his stripes as a two-way forward before winning the Selke Trophy in 2020-2021; has put up 146 points in 117 games over the past two seasons.

13. Mikko Rantanen

·         Integral part of the 2021-2022 Stanley Cup champions, Rantanen has tallied 158 points in 127 games over the past two seasons; when injuries hit the Avs last season, Rantanen moved to center to keep Colorado’s top six rolling.

14. Brad Marchand

·         Since 2016-2017, ranks fourth in the NHL with 506 points (in 420 games); his 58.3 CF% in that time ranks second only to linemate Patrice Bergeron and Bruins have outscored opponents by 114 goals during 5v5 play with Marchand on the ice during those six seasons. Will miss the first couple of months in 2022-2023 while recovering from hip surgery.

15. David Pastrnak

·         A two-time 40-goal scorer who adds an elite finisher’s touch to Boston’s top line and has been able to drive results when playing away from Marchand and Bergeron, too; ranks third in the NHL with 71 power play goals in the past five seasons.

16. Mitch Marner

·         Not only does Marner have 325 points in 268 games across the past four seasons, but he has averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time per game in that span, providing better than average defensive play.

17. Patrice Bergeron

·         The Corsi God drives play like few others ever have. In the modern stats era, the Bruins have controlled 58.2% of 5v5 shot attempts with Bergeron on the ice; last season, it was a ridiculous 65.1%, with the Bruins outscoring opponents 49-25 with a 36-year-old Bergeron on the ice.

18. Adam Fox

·         Won the 2020-2021 Norris Trophy in just his second season, then scored a career-high 74 points in 78 games last season.

19. Charlie McAvoy

·         Has finished top five in Norris Trophy voting in back-to-back seasons and scored a career-high 56 points last season; will be out for the first couple of months this season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

20. Artemi Panarin

·         Despite some disappointment in playoff production (he had 16 points in 20 playoff games last season), Panarin has put up 249 points in 186 games with the Rangers.

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21. Andrei Vasilevskiy

·        Workhorse goaltender has finished in the Top 5 in Vezina voting for each of the past five seasons, winning in 2018-2019. He has backstoppe the Lightning to two Stanley Cups, plus one trip to the Final, winning the Conn Smythe in 2021.

22. Aaron Ekblad

·         Although he has had some untimely injuries in recent seasons, Ekblad has established himself as a top two-way defenseman over the past three seasons, finishing sixth in Norris Trophy voting last season.

23. Nikolaj Ehlers

·         Speedy, play-driving winger has scored 51 goals at 5v5 in the past three seasons, which ranks 10th in the league; still has room for more production with increased role on power play.

24. Ilya Sorokin

·         The 27-year-old Islanders netminder has played just 74 games in the NHL, but early signs are promising; he has a .923 save percentage and 18.51 goals saved above expected.

25. Mika Zibanejad

·         His play driving results could be stronger, but Zibanejad does have 280 points in 276 games across the past four seasons; his 124 goals in that time is tied for 12th in the league.

26. Jason Robertson

·         Runner-up for the Calder Trophy as top rookie in 2020-2021, then put up 41 goals and 79 points in 74 games last season as the Stars were dominant when Robertson was on the ice.

27. Mark Stone

·         Legendary for his ability to steal the puck, Stone has battled injuries recently, and still has 165 points in 175 games since arriving in Vegas, with the Golden Knights outscoring opponents by 46 goals in that time with Stone on the ice during 5v5 play.

28. Johnny Gaudreau

·         Made a massive splash in the offseason when he signed in Columbus as a free agent following a 115-point season for Calgary; the Flames outscored opponents 96-38 during 5v5 play with Gaudreau on the ice last season.

29. Sebastian Aho

·         A reliable two-way performer who has 287 points in 285 games over the past four seasons. The Hurricanes control 55% of the shot attempts with him on the ice.

30. J.T. Miller

·         Has blossomed into a star player in Vancouver and even if last season’s 99 points will be difficult to duplicate, Miller produced 118 points in 112 games for the Canucks in the two seasons before that.

31. Jonathan Huberdeau

·         Traded to Calgary following a 115-point season in Florida, Huberdeau has 346 points in 286 games across the past four seasons, which ranks fourth in the NHL; suspect defensive play knocks him down a few pegs.

32. Steven Stamkos

·         Coming off the sixth season of his career with at least 40 goals and produced a career-high 106 points in 2021-2022. A legendary sniper who has scored on less than 15.0% of his shots once in the past 13 seasons.

33. Matthew Tkachuk

·         An agitator who is also a premier first line winger, Tkachuk piled up 104 points last season and was an integral part of Calgary’s dominant top line. Now, he takes his game to Florida.

34. Jake Guentzel

·         While his reputation was forged as a complement to Sidney Crosby, Guentzel has proven that he can score without Crosby, too. In the past four seasons, Guentzel has 260 points in 253 games – his 1.03 points per game in that time ranks 21st.

35. Elias Pettersson

·         A brilliant talent who looked positively lost midway through last season, Pettersson had 17 points in 37 games. He played more on the wing down the stretch and the results were dramatically different, as Pettersson put up 26 goals and 51 points in his last 43 games. 

36. Juuse Saros

·         Nashville’s netminder has a .921 save percentage in 103 games over the past two seasons. His 45.67 Goals Saved Above Expected in the past two years ranks second behind Igor Shesterkin.

37. Filip Forsberg

·         A wickedly skilled winger who has one of the best highlight reels in the game and put it together to score 42 goals in 69 games last season, earning an 8-year, $68 million contract to stay with the Predators.

38. Jack Eichel

·         Although he scored 25 points in 34 games after he was acquired by Vegas, Eichel did generate 3.91 shots on goal per game. The key is that he is finally healthy.

39. Brayden Point

·         Skilled and feisty undersized center played a massive role in two Lighting Stanley Cup victories, scoring 14 goals in 23 games both times that Tampa Bay won the Cup.  

40. Miro Heiskanen

·         23-year-old Stars defenseman has quickly established his credentials as a top-tier defender. With John Klingberg leaving, more power play time should go to Heiskanen and give him the chance to increase his offensive contributions.

41. Dougie Hamilton

·         Did not have a great season in his first year with the Devils, with unusually shaky defensive play, Hamilton has averaged more than three shots per game for five years running.

42. Alex Ovechkin

·         Put up 50 goals and 90 points as a 36-year-old last season, which is ridiculous production for his age, but Ovechkin’s game is getting more one dimensional.

43. Connor Hellebuyck

·         A standout goaltender, especially when considering the quality of shots that he typically faces in Winnipeg, Hellebuyck had a relatively down season in 2021-2022, but still saved 6.3 goals above expected.

44. MacKenzie Weegar

·         Traded to Calgary in the deal that send Matthew Tkachuk to Florida, Weegar has emerged as a top defender. In the past two seasons, the Panthers controlled more than 57.0% of 5v5 shot attempts and outscored opponents by 39 goals with Weegar on the ice.

45. Gabriel Landeskog

·         Captain of the Stanley Cup champions scored 30 goals and 59 points in just 51 games to go with excellent puck possession stats last season.

46. Elias Lindholm

·         Scored a career-high 42 goals and 82 points on his way to finishing as the runner-up for the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward. Will have new linemates this season, after Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk left Calgary.

47. Devon Toews

·         Excellent puck-moving defensemen who handles the defensive side of the game, too. Can get overshadowed by partner Cale Makar, but Toews produced 57 points with dynamite possession numbers last season.

48. Shea Theodore

·         A tremendous playmaking defenseman, Theodore had a career-high 14 goals and 52 points last season. His defensive play has slipped some in recent seasons, but Theodore still drives positive results.

49. Quinn Hughes

·         A sensational skater and puck mover who scored 39 of his 68 points on the power play last season.

50. Anze Kopitar

·         35-year-old center remains a play-driving force who has a positive impact at both ends of the rink. Had 2.59 shots per game last season, his highest rate since 2011-2012, and finished with 67 points despite some of the lowest percentages (ie. shooting, on-ice shooting) of his career.

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51. Roope Hintz

·         The 25-year-old Stars forward has emerged as a premier player, not only scoring 37 goals last season but playing sound defensively.

52. Alex Pietrangelo

·         Has played more than 24 minutes per game for 11 straight seasons and his team has not been outscored at 5v5 with him on the ice since 2009-2010, a season in which he was returned to the Ontario Hockey League after nine games.

53. Andrei Svechnikov

·         Drafted second overall in 2018, Svechnikov had a career-high 30 goals and 69 points for the Hurricanes last season. The 22-year-old should be approaching his prime years, so he ought to continue getting better.

54. Kyle Connor

·         Scored 47 goals and 93 points last season but Jets did not outshoot or outscore opposition when Connor was on the ice during 5v5 situations. Defensive improvement is needed for Connor to climb in the rankings.

55. Patrick Kane

·         Since 2015-2016, his 623 points ranks second only to McDavid, but disinterested defensive play gives some back at the other end.

56. Jacob Markstrom

·         Was runner-up in Vezina voting last season after a career-high .922 save percentage and 15.26 goals saved above expected.

57. John Carlson

·         In the past five seasons, the veteran defenseman has accumulated 328 points, 25 points more than any other defenseman.

58. Nazem Kadri

·         After scoring a career-high 87 points during the regular season, Kadri was a vital part of Colorado’s Stanley Cup run, contributing 15 points in 16 games.

59. Phillip Danault

·         Excellent two-way center tallied a career-high 27 goals in his first season with Los Angeles but has established his credentials as a premier play driving force. Over the past four seasons, Danault’s line has controlled 57.6% of 5v5 shot attempts, ranking sixth among players to appear in at least 100 games.

60. Jaccob Slavin

·         Top-notch defensive defenseman scored a career-high 42 points last season while delivering strong defensive results and taking just five minor penalties in 79 games.

61. Mark Scheifele

·         A productive center who has recorded at least a point per game for six straight seasons, Scheifele’s defensive play can limit his overall impact.

62. William Nylander

·         Produced a career-high 34 goals and 80 points in 81 games last season, recording a career-best 3.16 shots on goal per game. At his best, can be a dynamic star player.

63. Tomas Hertl

·         Produced 30 goals and 64 points last season, the second time in his career that he surpassed 30 goals and 60 points in a season.

64. Evgeni Malkin

·         An elite talent who is showing signs of aging and has had a hard time staying healthy. Malkin has 70 points in 74 games across that past two seasons but has missed more than a dozen games in nine of the past 10 seasons.  

65. Kevin Fiala

·         After scoring a career-high 33 goals and 85 points for Minnesota, Fiala was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the offseason. He has also been a proven play driver throughout his career.

66. Oliver Bjorkstrand

·         Notched a career-high 28 goals and 57 points for Columbus last season but has also established his credentials as a responsible two-way winger.

67. Pavel Buchnevich

·         Moved to St. Louis and responded with a career high 30 goals and 76 points. Coupled with strong defensive impacts for his third straight season, Buchnevich is a reliable and productive two-way winger.

68. Kris Letang

·         35-year-old blueliner recorded a career-high 68 points last season and has played more than 24 minutes per game in each of the past 12 seasons.

69. Thatcher Demko

·         A well above-average starting goaltender for the past two seasons, the 26-year-old Canucks netminder finished seventh in Vezina voting last season.

70. Mathew Barzal

·         Signed to an eight-year contract extension that kicks in after next season, Barzal is the Islanders’ most dangerous offensive player, but he has the ability to produce more than the 59 points he had last season.

71. Ryan O’Reilly

·         A premier two-way center who has finished in the Top 5 in Selke voting for four straight seasons, winning the award in 2018-2019.

72. Jack Hughes

·         The first pick in the 2019 Draft, Hughes struggled as a rookie, showed progress as a sophomore, and looked like a star in his third season, scoring 56 points in 49 games.

73. Alex DeBrincat

·         Traded to Ottawa after recording the second 41-goal season of his career for Chicago. Has been an elite finisher and is in a good situation with an improving Senators team.

74. Joe Pavelski

·         The 38-year-old just put up 81 points in 82 games, the 0.99 points per game representing the best per-game scoring rate of his career.

75. Matt Duchene

·         Following a disastrous 2020-2021 season, Duchene bounced back in a big way with a career high 43 goals and 86 points last season.

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76. Sam Reinhart

·         Move to a competitive Florida team led to a career-high 33 goals and 82 points last season, despite playing less than he did in each of his previous three seasons with Buffalo.

77. Dylan Larkin

·         Bounced back in a big way after a tough 2020-2021 season, scoring 31 goals and 69 points last season.

78. Chris Kreider

·         Had never scored more than 28 goals in a season before erupting for 52 goals, including 26 on the power play last season.

79. Claude Giroux

·         At 34, continues to put up points and is an ace in the faceoff dot. Has put up excellent defensive results in recent seasons, too.

80. Zach Werenski

·         A quality offensive defenseman whose defensive metrics have had some ups and downs throughout his career.

81. Timo Meier

·         26-year-old power forward scored a career-high 35 goals and 76 points last season, generating a career-high 4.23 shots per game.

82. Jared Spurgeon

·         The Wild captain had the second 40-point season of his career in 2021-2022 and consistently delivers strong defensive results.

83. Darnell Nurse

·         Hard-hitting physical presence has contributed 55 even-strength points in the past two seasons, which ranks 14th among defensemen.

84. Brady Tkachuk

·         Ottawa’s captain scored a career-high 30 goals and 67 points last season while still playing with his typical physical abandon.

85. Jesper Bratt

·         Electrifying Devils winger with good speed and wide skating base, busted out for 73 points in 76 games last season.

86. Valeri Nichushkin

·         An elite checking winger who emerged as an offensive threat with 52 points in 62 games last season, Nichushkin was a vital piece to Colorado’s championship run, scoring nine goals and 15 points in 20 games.

87. Vladimir Tarasenko

·         The Blue could not find a taker for him on the trade market last summer and then Tarasenko responded by producing a career-high 82 points in 75 games.

88. Owen Power

·         The first pick in the 2021 Draft played eight games with the Sabres at the end of last season, so this ranking requires some projection, but Power looked like he could be an impact player very quickly.

89. Robert Thomas

·         One of the premier passers in the game, Thomas is a 23-year-old playmaker who exploded for 77 points in 72 games last season.

90. Moritz Seider

·         The Calder Trophy winner not only put up 50 points in 82 games but added a physical presence to the Detroit blueline.

91. Matt Boldy

·         21-year-old Wild winger had 39 points in 47 games as a rookie last season and should only be looking at a bigger role this season.

92. Morgan Rielly

·         Toronto’s No. 1 defenseman put up 68 points, including a career-high 58 assists, last season. His defensive play has been below average for a few years, though, which limits his overall impact.

93. John Tavares

·         Toronto’s 32-year-old center took a lot of criticism for a season in which he finished with 76 points in 79 games. He is still a strong contributor, particularly down low in the offensive zone.

94. Nico Hischier

·         The Devils captain produced a career-high 60 points last season and delivers quality defensive play, too.

95. Trevor Zegras

·         Anaheim’s No. 1 center had 61 points in 75 games last season, finishing as runner-up in Calder Trophy voting. For all of his highlight reel plays, Zegras’ defensive metrics were solid, too.

96. Rasmus Dahlin

·         The first pick in the 2018 Draft, Dahlin has had some ups and downs in his career, but seemed to break through in his fourth season. Allowed more freedom by head coach Don Granato, Dahlin scored a career-best 13 goals and 53 points.

97. Thomas Chabot

·         Has not had great support in Ottawa, but has been effective while logging more than 26 minutes per game for three straight seasons.

98. Drew Doughty

·        Veteran Kings defenseman was in his best defensive form in quite some time before a knee injury ended his season after 39 games.

99. Joel Eriksson Ek

·        A standout checking center who could compete for the Selke Trophy, Eriksson Ek had a career-high 26 goals and 49 points last season.

100. Erik Karlsson

·        Although he is a long way from his Norris Trophy form, with shaky defensive play becoming the norm, Karlsson’s overall impact is positive because of his tremendous ability to move the puck in transition.

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2022-2023 NHL Player Projections

By having these projections in a worksheet, you can take the projections, put them in your own spreadsheet and make calculations or adjustments suitable for your own leagues.

You can find me on Twitter @ByScottCullen, and I am writing about sports betting at SportsbookReview.com, as well as fantasy hockey at McKeen’s Hockey. I will likely have more content on these pages during the hockey season, too.

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